Efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy/maintenance chemotherapy after induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Experiences of two centers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In general, there are not many studies exploring the clinical value of adjuvant chemotherapy or maintenance chemotherapy (AC/MC) after induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT+AC/MC). The purpose of this study was to establish a clinical nomogram for the use of AC/MC in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two centers (Guangzhou Medical University Cancer Center [N = 1226] and Zhongshan People's Hospital [N = 150]) recruited 1376 patients with LA-NPC. All the patients underwent IC+CCRT; 560 patients received AC with cisplatin/nedaplatin plus docetaxel/paclitaxel (TP) or cisplatin/nedaplatin plus fluorouracil (PF), and 81 patients received MC with S-1. Multivariate Cox regression was used to confirm optimal predictors of progression-free survival (PFS), and a nomogram was established to identify patients into low-risk and high-risk cohorts. Additionally, bootstrap internal validation was performed to further verify our nomogram. RESULTS: After propensity score matching (PSM), the survival curves were not statistically different between IC+CCRT+AC/MC and IC+CCRT (all p > 0.05). Then, a nomogram was developed based on variables that were screened by univariate and multivariate Cox regression, including N stage, cumulative platinum dose during CCRT, body mass index (BMI), IC cycles, IC regimen and cervical lymph node (CLN) necrosis and infiltration of adjacent tissues. The results of the nomogram showed that the high-risk cohort had greatly worse 5-year DMFS, LRFS, PFS and OS compared to low-risk cohort (all p < 0.05), and subgroup analysis found that the 5-year DMFS, PFS and OS of patients treated with IC+CCRT+AC/MC were better than those treated with IC+CCRT in high-risk cohort (all p < 0.05). Notably, the incidence of adverse effects for IC+CCRT+AC cohort was higher than that for IC+CCRT+MC cohort, especially leukocytopenia and neutropenia. IC+CCRT and IC+CCRT+MC were associated with similar incidences of adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of AC or MC to IC+CCRT could improve the DMFS of patients with high-risk NPC and prolong their survival. Additionally, our findings suggest a potential role of AC/MC following IC plus CCRT in the treatment of high-risk LA-NPC.

Diagnosis and genetic analysis of a case with Bardet-Biedl syndrome caused by compound heterozygous mutations in the BBS12 gene.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive ciliopathy, which is caused by mutations mainly in genes encoding BBSome complex and IFT complex. Here, we reported a 21-year-old female with BBS characterized by three primary features including obesity, retinitis pigmentosa sine pigmento and bilateral renal cysts. She also had some secondary features such as diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, subclinical hypothyroidism and mild conductive hearing damage. Whole exome sequencing revealed two compound heterozygous mutations in exon 2 of the BBS12 gene (c.188delC, p.T63fs and c.1993_1995del, p.665_665del) in this patient. Sanger sequencing showed that her father and mother carried c.188delC (p.T63fs) and c.1993_1995del (p.665_665del) variants, respectively, while her parents were free of BBS-related symptoms. In conclusion, this case reported two novel mutations (c.188delC, p.T63fs and c.1993_1995del, p.665_665del) of the BBS12 gene in a girl presented with BBS, which provides novel genetic resources for studies of the disease. Meanwhile, the BBS case shows the entire development progress from her birth to adulthood, which helps facilitate clinicians' understanding of BBS.

The antibacterial activity of a novel NK-lysin homolog and its molecular characterization and expression in the striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.

Aeromonas hydrophila was a common bacterial pathogen in aquaculture resulting in considerable losses to the striped catfish aquaculture industry. As an emergent antimicrobial peptide (AMP), NK-lysin (NKL) had activity against various microorganisms. However, the antibacterial activity of NKL from striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) both in vitro and vivo remains unclear. In this study, the cDNA sequence of P. hypophthalmus NK-lysin gene (PhNK-lysin) was cloned and characterized. The amino acid sequence of PhNK-lysin contains a signal peptide sequence of 17 amino acid (aa) residues and a mature peptide composed of 130 aa. The saposin B domain of mature peptide comprised six conserved cysteines forming three putative disulfide bonds. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the PhNK-lysin was most closely related to that of the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) NK-lysin. The transcriptional levels of the PhNK-lysin were significantly upregulated in response to A. hydrophila infection in various tissues including heart, liver, spleen, head kidney, trunk kidney and gill. The synthetic PhNK-lysin-derived peptide consisting of 38aa showed antibacterial activity against Vibrio harveii, Aeromonas hydrophila and Escherichia coli. The MIC for V. harveii, A. hydrophila and E. coli were 15.625 µM, 250 µM and 31.25 µM respectively. Besides, the synthetic PhNK-lysin decreased the bacterial load of liver and trunk kidney in vivo as well as increased the survival rate of A. hydrophila infected striped catfish. Hence, these data suggest that PhNK-lysin had antimicrobial effect and protects the host from pathogenic infection.

Which Is Safer, Chinese Medicine or Western Medicine? Comparative Analysis Based on Chinese Spontaneous Reporting Database.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety differences between Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine (WM) based on Chinese Spontaneous Reporting Database (CSRD). METHODS: Reports of adverse events (AEs) caused by CM and WM in the CSRD between 2010 and 2011 were selected. The following assessment indicators were constructed: the proportion of serious AEs (PSE), the average number of AEs (ANA), and the coverage rate of AEs (CRA). Further comparisons were also conducted, including the drugs with the most reported serious AEs, the AEs with the biggest report number, and the 5 serious AEs of interest (including death, anaphylactic shock, coma, dyspnea and abnormal liver function). RESULTS: The PSE, ANA and CRA of WM were 1.09, 8.23 and 2.35 times higher than those of CM, respectively. The top 10 drugs with the most serious AEs were mainly injections for CM and antibiotics for WM. The AEs with the most reports were rash, pruritus, nausea, dizziness and vomiting for both CM and WM. The proportions of CM and WM in anaphylactic shock and coma were similar. For abnormal liver function and death, the proportions of WM were 5.47 and 3.00 times higher than those of CM, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on CSRD, CM was safer than WM at the average level from the perspective of adverse drug reactions.

Identification of two clip domain serine proteases involved in the pea aphid's defense against bacterial and fungal infection.

Phenoloxidases (POs) are required for the pea aphid's defense against bacterial and fungal infection. Prophenoloxidases (PPOs) are proteolytically converted to its active form PO through a clip domain serine protease cascade. In this study, we identified five clip domain serine proteases in the pea aphids. The messenger RNA levels of two of them, Ap_SPLP and Ap_VP, were upregulated by Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and fungus Beauveria bassiana infections. Double-stranded RNA-based expression knockdown of these two genes resulted in reduced PO activity of the aphid hemolymph, higher loads of S. aureus and B. bassiana in the aphids, and lower survival rates of the aphids after infections. Our data suggest that Ap_SPLP and Ap_VP are involved in PPO activation pathway in the pea aphid.

[Prediction of potential distribution of Carpinus cordata in China under climate change.] / 气候变化下千金榆在我国潜在分布区预测.

Climate change seriously affects the geographical distribution of plants. Regional diffe-rences in plant response to climate change will provide important guidance for species introduction and conservation. Based on ArcGIS and MaxEnt model, we used 176 geographic information of Carpinus cordata and 13 climatic variables to reconstruct its current and future niche. The results showed that the model had a high credibility in simulating contemporary potential distribution areas. The AUC values of the test set and the training set of the model were 0.973 and 0.957, respectively. The main core suitable areas were concentrated in Qinling, Changbai Mountain and their adjacent areas, with other sporadic "island" distribution. C. cordata is not distributed in Guizhou, Jiangxi, Yunnan and Fujian, but the model predicted some suitable distribution areas in those provinces. With climate warming in the future, ecologically suitable areas of C. cordata would increase significantly, mainly as "shrinking to high altitude areas", "expanding northward", and "expanding eastward". However, core suitable areas would be slightly reduced, which would be manifested as "shrinking southward", "moderate stability", and "expanding northward". The response of C. cordata distribution to climate warming was obviously regional. Eastern Jiangsu, Anhui, and other places would become ecologically suitable areas for C. cordata because of their unique geographical location and climatic environment. The lower latitudes of the south, the original low-altitude areas might no longer be suitable for survival. The central Qinling region was a transition region from north to south, with strong buffer capacity, and climate warming had little effect on its distribution area. The Changbai Mountain and its adjacent areas at higher latitudes were more suitable for C. cordata.

Intergeneric Relationships within the Family Salicaceae s.l. based on Plastid Phylogenomics.

Many Salicaceae s.l. plants are recognized for their important role in the production of products such as wood, oils, and medicines, and as a model organism in life studies. However, the difference in plastid sequence, phylogenetic relationships, and lineage diversification of the family Salicaceae s.l. remain poorly understood. In this study, we compare 24 species representing 18 genera of the family. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are considered effective molecular markers for plant species identification and population genetics. Among them, a total of 1798 SSRs were identified, among which mononucleotide repeat was the most common with 1455 accounts representing 80.92% of the total. Most of the SSRs are located in the non-coding region. We also identified five other types of repeats, including 1750 tandems, 434 forward, 407 palindromic, 86 reverse, and 30 complementary repeats. The species in Salicaceae s.l. have a conserved plastid genome. Each plastome presented a typical quadripartite structure and varied in size due to the expansion and contraction of the inverted repeat (IR) boundary, lacking major structural variations, but we identified six divergence hotspot regions. We obtained phylogenetic relationships of 18 genera in Salicaceae s.l. and the 24 species formed a highly supported lineage. Casearia was identified as the basal clade. The divergence time between Salicaceae s.l. and the outgroup was estimated as ~93 Mya; Salix, and Populus diverged around 34 Mya, consistent with the previously reported time. Our research will contribute to a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among the members of the Salicaceae s.l.

Association of body mass index and age with incident diabetes in Chinese adults: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing in young adults, and greater adiposity is considered a major risk factor. However, whether there is an association between obesity and diabetes and how this might be impacted by age is not clear. Therefore, we investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and diabetes across a wide range of age groups (20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70 and ≥70 years old). DESIGN: We performed a retrospective cohort study using healthy screening programme data. SETTING: A total of 211 833 adult Chinese persons >20 years old across 32 sites and 11 cities in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Changzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Nantong) were selected for the study; these persons were free of diabetes at baseline. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Fasting plasma glucose levels were measured and information regarding the history of diabetes was collected at each visit. Diabetes was diagnosed as fasting plasma glucose ≥7.00 mmol/L and/or self-reported diabetes. Patients were censored at the date of diagnosis or the final visit, whichever came first. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 3.1 years, 4174 of the 211 833 participants developed diabetes, with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 7.35 per 1000 persons. The risk of incident diabetes increased proportionally with increasing baseline BMI values, with a 23% increased risk of incident diabetes with each kg/m2 increase in BMI (95% CI 1.22 to 1.24). Across all age groups, there was a linear association between BMI and the risk of incident diabetes, although there was a stronger association between BMI and incident diabetes in the younger age groups (age×BMI interaction, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: An increased BMI is also independently associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes in young adults and the effects of BMI on incident diabetes were accentuated in younger adults.

Endocrinal description of two Chinese Kennedy's disease pedigrees.

Kennedy's disease (KD), also known as X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), is caused by the expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats in the first exon of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. KD is a late-onset neural-endocrinal disease that is characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord. In addition, partial androgen insensitivity is an important manifestation of KD. Here, we report two Chinese KD pedigrees that reveal the clinical and genetic manifestations and fully elaborate the endocrinal characteristics of KD patients. The proband in pedigree 1 was referred to an endocrinologist for gynaecomastia and sexual dysfunction. A gene analysis of this patient revealed that there were 53 CAG repeats in the AR gene. A family survey identified an additional two KD patients in pedigree 1. The proband in pedigree 2 was diagnosed by a neurologist and did not have gynaecomastia or sexual dysfunction. A family survey identified an additional subclinical patient, and both patients exhibited partial androgen insensitivity at a hormonal level. We therefore suggest that a family survey and hormone tests should be routinely performed in KD patients and that physicians should increase their understanding of the different symptoms of KD to achieve correct diagnoses in affected patients.

Hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, and recurrent tetany: Gitelman syndrome in a Chinese pedigree and literature review.

Gitelman syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease mostly associated with loss-of-function mutations of the SLC12A3 gene and featured by clinical hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, and histologically hypertrophy of the juxtaglomerular apparatus. A novel homozygous mutation (p.Arg399Pro) at the extracellular domain of SLC12A3 was found and correlated with the severe clinical manifestations.

Looking for agonists of ß2 adrenergic receptor from Fuzi and Chuanwu by virtual screening and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

More and more studies demonstrated that ß2 adrenergic receptor (ß2-AR) plays a crucial role for the treatment of heart failure. Chuanwu and Fuzi have been used over thousands of years in China for the treatment of heart failure. Considering the effects of these herbs are very similar to ß2-AR agonists, we presume whether ß2-AR agonists can be found from Fuzi and Chuanwu. Fuzi and Chuanwu decoction were used to receive the luciferase reporter activity assay to verify the hypothesis, and the result is positive and encouraging. For it is very difficult to get all of the monomer compounds of Fuzi and Chuanwu, virtual screening was used to find potential ß2-AR agonists and a cell-based ß2-AR agonist functional evaluation model, combined with a luciferase reporter assay system, was used to confirm the final result. In this research, 45 compounds were identified as ß2-AR agonists, and four compounds were verified and the rest need further experiment.

[Absorption and distribution of K, Na and Mg in Avicennia marina seedlings under cadmium stress].

In this paper, mangrove seedlings Avicennia marina were treated with various contents of cadmium (0, 0.5, 5, 25, 50, 100, 150 mg · L(-1)). These seedlings were cultivated by man-made seawater with a salinity of 15 in sand for 90 days in a greenhouse. The absorption and distribution of elements contents (K, Na and Mg) under cadmium stress were investigated at 45th and 90th day, respectively. The results showed that the enrichment of cadmium in the different components of seedlings increased with the increasing cadmium stress level and exposure time. The cadmium contents in roots and cotyledons were relatively higher than in the other components, accounting for 66.9% and 16.3% of cadmium in the seedlings under the 150 mg · L(-1) cadmium stress, respectively. The fall of cotyledons could reduce the damage of cadmium stress to the whole seedlings. The Na contents increased in roots and stems and decreased in leaves and cotyledons after cadmium stress for 90 days. The K content decreased in roots and cotyledons, while had no significant change in stems and leaves. The Mg content in roots, stems, leaves and cotyledons of seedlings treated with cadmium for 90 days were lower than those of the control, and were negatively related to the cadmium content.

[Characteristics of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Pollution and Eutrophication Assessment of Secondary River in Urban Chongqing].

To understand the secondary river quality in Chongqing urban area, six typical secondary rivers were chosen to investigate the pollution characteristics of total nitrogen and total phosphorus and to evaluate the water eutrophication level according to the monitoring data of water physicochemical characteristics and chlorophyll content from April 2013 to March 2014. The study results showed that: the six rivers mentioned above have been seriously polluted by TN and TP, with the monthly mean values of TN and TP far exceeding the universally accepted threshold values of water eutrophication. Water eutrophicaton appraisal result indicated that all rivers in each season were in a state of eutrophication, and the eutrophication level could be arranged in the order of Panxi River > Qingshui River > Tiaodeng River > Huaxi River > Funiu River > Chaoyang River. The seasonal changes in TN and TP of secondary rivers were significant, with high concentrations of TN and TP in spring and winter, and lower concentrations in summer and autumn. TN and TP of the rivers showed a trend of increasing from the upstream to the downstream in each season. Pollutant concentration accumulated gradually along rivers and the maximum accumulation rate reached 1. 25 mg . (L . km) -1. Therefore, further study on urban secondary river pollution characteristics is of great significance to urban water pollution control.

Midgut immune responses induced by bacterial infection in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Insect gut epithelial cells produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to protect hosts from pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, we evaluate the pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus bombysepticus in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Survival curves show that B. bombysepticus is deadly when larval silkworms are infected orally. Bacterial infection caused intestinal hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) levels to increase significantly by 8 and 16 h post-infection (hpi), respectively. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis shows that the transcription levels of dual oxidase (Duox) and catalase (CAT) are highly up-regulated by P. aeruginosa infection at 8 hpi. P. aeruginosa infection induced nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) expression at 16 hpi, which contributes to the generation of NO. mRNA levels of AMP genes, specifically Glovorin 2 and Glovorin 3, which obviously increase during the early infection stage. These results indicate that invading bacteria elevate intestinal ROS and NO levels and induce AMP gene transcription, which contributes to intestinal immune defense.

[Odor Emission Characteristics from Biochemical Treatment Facilities of Kichen Waste in China].

Xining, Ningbo and Beijing were closen as the representative cities about biochemical treatment of kichen waste. The treatment facilities of these cities were investigated and set as the sampling points. The main compositions and the material contents were analyzed by GC/MS, the odor concertration was obtained by the Triangle odor bag method. The results showed that oxygenated hydrocarbons including alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, ester were higher than others in the odor gases, however, the largest contribution to odor pollution were sulfocompounds and the 2nd materials were terpenes; According to the research of the three enterprises, ethyl alcohol, limonene, sulfuretted hydrogen, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate were likely to be considered as the typical odorants from the biochemical treatment facilities of kichen waste.

[Spatio-temporal variability of habitat quality in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area based on land use change].

Land use change is the core content of global change. To achieve sustainable land use planning, it is necessary to evaluate the habitat quality pattern and its spatio-temporal variation resulted from land use change, which can provide basis for the formulation of land management policy. Based on the analysis of land use change from 2000 to 2010, this study investigated the spatio-temporal variation of habitat quality pattern of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area. We used the watershed profile sampling points and spatial autocorrelation analysis based on watershed subdivision. The results showed that the main land use change types from 2000 to 2010 in this area included the transition from cultivated land to construction land, the transition between forest and grassland, and the transition from water bodies to cultivated land. This land use/cover change process led to the decrease of heterogeneity of landscape structure and increase of fragmentation. The overall spatial pattern of habitat quality was that southeast and south areas were relatively lower, while north and west areas were relatively higher. The analysis based on watershed profile showed that the habitat quality of each watershed presented significant difference in each part. Habitat quality of most sampling points degraded in a way, while some improved compared with 2000. In general, the habitat quality of the bottom part of Luanhe River basin, the medium part of Bai-Chaobai-Chaobaixin River basin, the medium and the bottom part of Yongding River basin and medium part of Laozhang-Fudongpai- Beipai River basin were poor and volatile, while other parts were relatively good. There was a decreasing agglomeration characteristic of distribution of habitat quality in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area under the disturbance of human activities. Areas of high habitat quality in 2000 were mainly located in Luanhe River basin and top part of Baihe basin. Areas of low habitat quality were mainly located in medium and bottom part of Yongding River basin and some parts of Chaobai River basin. However, the areas of high habitat quality and areas with low habitat quality of 2010 had both expanded towards southwest.

Development and characterization of EST-SSR markers in Ostryopsis (Betulaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: A set of expressed sequence tag (EST) microsatellite markers were developed and characterized using next-generation sequencing technology for the Chinese genus Ostryopsis (Betulaceae). • METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 38 high-quality simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers were identified, of which 15 could be successfully amplified. Subsequently, we selected 80 individuals to represent the three species of the genus to evaluate the efficacy of these markers for examining genetic diversity of each species in the future. We found that the number of alleles per locus ranged from one to nine, with an average of 3.8. The expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity per locus varied from 0 to 0.829 and from 0 to 1, respectively, with their respective mean values as 0.483 and 0.416. • CONCLUSIONS: These EST-SSR markers will be useful for evaluating the range-wide genetic diversity of each species and examining genetic divergence and gene flow between the three species.

Physiological roles of mycothiol in detoxification and tolerance to multiple poisonous chemicals in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Mycothiol (MSH) plays important roles in maintaining cytosolic redox homeostasis and in adapting to reactive oxygen species in the high-(G + C)-content Gram-positive Actinobacteria. However, its physiological roles are ill defined compared to glutathione, the functional analog of MSH in Gram-negative bacteria and most eukaryotes. In this research, we explored the impact of intracellular MSH on cellular physiology by using MSH-deficient mutants in the model organism Corynebacterium glutamicum. We found that intracellular MSH contributes significantly to resistance to alkylating agents, glyphosate, ethanol, antibiotics, heavy metals and aromatic compounds. In addition, intracellular MSH is beneficial for withstanding oxidative stress induced by various oxidants in C. glutamicum. This study greatly expanded our current knowledge on the physiological functions of mycothiol in C. glutamicum and could be applied to improve the robustness of this scientifically and commercially important species in the future.

Baicalin regulates neuronal fate decision in neural stem/progenitor cells and stimulates hippocampal neurogenesis in adult rats.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies revealed that baicalin, a flavonoid compound derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, could promote neuron differentiation of NSPCs after commencing the differentiation process in vitro. However, this may not be the most efficacious strategy to determinate cell fate. Here, we have investigated whether baicalin can influence early events of neuron generation and stimulate adult neurogenesis. RESULTS: Transient exposure of NSPCs to baicalin during proliferation could activate Mash1 to alter the differential fate and increase the proportion of cells expressing neuronal markers. Seven days after, rats were exposed to transient cerebral ischemia, they were treated for 3 weeks with baicalin, BrdU labeling study showed that exposure to baicalin increased the number of newly generated cells in hippocampus, BrdU/NeuN double staining analysis indicated that baicalin could promote new neuron production after cerebral ischemia. Additionally, Morris water maze test showed that delayed postischemic treatment with baicalin improved cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: These results identify the existence of a single molecule, baicalin, which can specify the neuronal fate of multipotent NSPCs and stimulate neurogenesis, making it a promising candidate for developing clinically relevant strategies to manipulate neuronal fate of NSPCs for brain repair.

Fasting plasma glucose correlates with angiographic coronary artery disease prevalence and severity in Chinese patients without known diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). While there is a clear association of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) with microvascular complications, the risk for CAD conferred by FPG is relatively less clear. Therefore, we investigate the association between different FPG and the prevalence and severity of angiographic CAD in high-risk Chinese patients without known diabetes. Among 1,419 subjects who were to undergo coronary angiography for the confirmation of suspected myocardial ischemia, 906 subjects without known diabetes were included in this study and categorized into four groups according to the level of FPG: group 1, ≤5.5 mmol/l; group 2, 5.6-6.0 mmol/l; group 3, 6.1-6.9 mmol/l; and group 4, ≥7.0 mmol/l. Significant angiographic CAD was defined as ≥50 % lumen diameter reduction in at least one major coronary artery in a given subject. The severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis were defined as the number of diseased vessels, the proportion of totally occluded vessel and the Gensini score. Associations between FPG and the prevalence and severity of CAD were assessed by logistic and linear stepwise regression analyses. The angiographic CAD prevalence, the number of diseased vessels, the totally occluded vessel, and the Gensini score increased corresponding to increasing FPG levels from ≤5.5 mmol/l to 5.6-6.0 mmol/l to 6.1-6.9 mmol/l to ≥7.0 mmol/l (P < 0.05). The FPG had significant association with angiographic CAD (adjusted OR, 1.53; 95 % CI, 1.19-1.98; P = 0.001) and the Gensini score (standardized regression coefficient = 0.172, P = 0.011). Compared with group 1, group 2, 3 and 4 demonstrated significantly higher CAD prevalence after adjustment (adjusted OR, 1.61 [1.16-2.19]; P = 0.015 for group 2; 1.49 [1.11-2.59]; P = 0.027 for group 3; and 4.19 [2.85-6.16]; P = 0.024 for group 4, respectively). FPG group was also significantly associated with the Gensini score (Standardized coefficients, 0.185; P = 0.007, respectively). FPG was an independent risk factor for the prevalence and severity of significant angiographic CAD in our study population. The severity of angiographic CAD increased along with the increasing FPG levels even in prediabetic state.