An adolescent with primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma: a case report and literature review.

Primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma (PCFCL) differs from follicular lymphoma in biological behavior and molecular profile and is treated as a distinct entity, according to the 5th edition of the World Health Organization classification of hematolymphoid tumors. It is an uncommon cutaneous B-cell lymphoma that is considerably rare in children and adolescents. To date, only 13 cases of individuals younger than 20 years of age have been reported in the literature. The lack of relevant clinical epidemiological data in this population has hampered the investigation of its clinical and diagnostic aspects. Here we report the case of a 17-year-old male with PCFCL, who may be the first PCFCL patient under 20 years of age reported in China. He was admitted to the hospital with a solitary nodule on his face. After complete surgical excision, the patient's facial mass was histologically identified as PCFCL. The patient's prognosis was favorable, with no recurrence at 17 months of follow-up after the surgical resection. We present a case of an adolescent PCFCL patient and systematically review the literature with a view to increase the awareness of the disease and inform the diagnosis and treatment of this age group.

Combined association of dietary fibre and cognitive function with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Dietary fibre and cognitive function are associated with the risk of mortality, respectively. Inadequate dietary fibre intake and cognitive impairment frequently co-occur in older adults, but the combined effect of dietary fibre and cognitive function on mortality remains unknown. The study was to investigate the combined effect of dietary fibre and cognitive function on mortality over a 13-year follow-up in a representative of older adults from the U.S. METHODS: We analyzed data from two cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 with mortality follow-up data through 13 December 2015 obtained from Public-use Linked Mortality Files. Low dietary fibre intake was defined as the lowest quartile of dietary fibre intake. Cognitive impairment was defined as below the median of Digit Symbol Substitution Test. The separate and combined effects of low dietary fibre intake and cognitive impairment on all-cause and cause-specific mortality were assessed in older adults using weighted Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 2012 participants (weighted sample was 32,765,094) aged 60 years and older were enrolled in the study. After a median follow-up of 13.4 years, 1017 participants (50.4%) were identified as all-cause deaths, including 183 (9.1%) participants dying from cancer, 199 (9.9%) participants dying from cardiovascular disease, and 635 (31.5%) participants dying from non-cancer/non-cardiovascular disease. Participants with low dietary fibre intake and cognitive impairment had nearly twice the risk of all-cause (HR, 2.030; 95% CI, 1.406-2.931) and non-cancer/non-cardiovascular (HR, 2.057; 95% CI, 1.297-3.262) mortality, and over triple cancer (HR, 3.334; 95% CI, 1.685-6.599) mortality, compared to those without both. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of low dietary fibre intake and cognitive impairment was associated with an increased risk of all-cause, cancer and non-cancer/non- cardiovascular mortality in older adults.

Key MessagesThe inadequate dietary fibre intake and cognitive impairment often coexist in older adults, but the combined effect of dietary fibre and cognitive function on mortality is still unknown.This study evaluated the combined effect of dietary fibre and cognitive impairment on mortality among older adults with a 13-year follow-up in the United States, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).The results provided evidence of the importance of early screening and intervention for dietary fibre intake and cognitive function, and suggested the joint effect of dietary fibre and cognitive function on mortality could be significant for public health in older adults.

New insights into metabolomics profile generation in fermented tea: the relevance of bacteria and metabolites in Fuzhuan brick tea.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of bacteria to fermented tea is not clear and the associated research is relatively limited. To reveal the role of microorganisms in fermented tea processing, the microbial community and metabolites of Fuzhuan brick tea (FBT), a Chinese traditional fermented tea, were revealed via high-throughput sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). RESULTS: In FBT, bacterial communities had a higher abundance and diversity, Lactococcus and Bacillus were the main bacteria, and Eurotium was the predominant fungus. The predictive metabolic function indicated the pathways of cellular growth, environmental information, genetics and material metabolism of bacterial communities were abundant, whereas the fungal community predictive metabolic function was almost saprotroph. Using LC-MS, 1143 and 536 metabolites were defined in positive and negative ion mode, respectively. There were essential correlations between bacterial populations and metabolites, such that Bacillus was correlated significantly with 44 metabolites (P < 0.05) and Enterococcus was significantly associated with 15 metabolites (P < 0.05). Some of the main active components were significantly correlated with the bacteria, such as Enterococcus, Lactococcus and Carnobacterium. CONCLUSION: Not only Eurotium, but also the bacteria were involved in the changes of metabolomics profile in fermented FBT. The present study assists in providing new insights into metabolomics profile generation in fermented tea. The present research lays a foundation for controlling the FBT fermentation by artificial inoculation to improve quality. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of different statins application methods on plaques in patients with coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Discontinued application of statins may be related to adverse cardiovascular events. However, it is unclear whether different statins administration methods have effects on coronary artery plaques. AIM: To evaluate the effects of different statins application methods on plaques in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: A total of 100 patients diagnosed with atherosclerotic plaque by coronary artery computed tomography were continuously selected and divided into three groups according to different statins administration methods (discontinued application group, n = 32; intermittent application group, n = 39; sustained application group, n = 29). The effects of the different statins application methods on coronary atherosclerotic plaque were assessed. RESULTS: The volume change and rate of change of the most severe plaques were significantly reduced in the sustained application group (P ≤ 0.001). The volume change of the most severe plaques correlated positively with low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels only in the sustained application group (R = 0.362, P = 0.013). There were no changes in plaques or LDL-C levels in the intermittent and discontinued application groups. CONCLUSION: Continuous application of statins is effective for controlling plaque progression, whereas discontinued or intermittent administration of statins is not conducive to controlling plaques. Only with continuous statins administration can a reduction in LDL-C levels result in plaque volume shrinkage.

Effect of recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor gel on repair of rosacea skin lesions: A randomized, single-blind and vehicle-controlled study.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of topical use of recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rbFGF) gel on the repair of facial skin lesions in patients with rosacea. In the present single-blind study, a total of 1,287 patients with Demodex mite-induced rosacea who received treatment with ornidazole tablets were randomized to rbFGF gel treatment group (n=651) or control group (n=636) without revealing the group identity. Patients in the treatment group were treated with topical application of rbFGF gel over the skin lesions (0.2 g/cm2) for up to 8 weeks, whereas patients in the control group received gel vehicle treatment unless ulceration occurred. Skin lesions of all patients were scored prior to and following treatment with rbFGF gel and subjected to histological analysis. All patients were followed up for 6 months. Significant improvement in the total effective rates for erythema, papules, desquamation and dryness were observed in the rbFGF treatment group. At the end of the 2, 4 and 6 months of follow-up, the total effective rates for patients in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (81.67 vs. 28.84%; 85.11 vs. 40.81%, and 96.56 vs. 55.82%, respectively). Following treatment for 6 months, none of the patients in the rbFGF group exhibited ulceration or scar formation. In the control group, 61% of patients experienced exacerbation of skin lesions, of which, 12% exhibited ulceration and were treated with rbFGF gel to prevent scar formation. Histological analysis revealed gradual reduction in epidermal hyperplasia and resolution of dermal edema in skin lesions treated with rbFGF gel. In conclusion, rbFGF gel may improve the repair of facial rosacea skin lesions in patients treated with anti-Demodex.

Characterization, antioxidativity, and anti-carcinoma activity of exopolysaccharide extract from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa CICC 33013.

The water-soluble exopolysaccharide REPS2-A was isolated and characterized from R. mucilaginosa CICC 33013. REPS2-A was composed of galactose, arabinose, glucose, and mannose at a molar ratio of 63.1:0.2:18.3:18.3, respectively, with a molecular weight of 7.125×106Da. Based on FT-IR, NMR, and methylation analysis, REPS2-A was identified to be a highly branched polysaccharide with a backbone of (1→3)-linkedGal with Man, Gal, and Ara terminals. The branches were identified as (1→2)-linked Glc, (1→4)-linked Man, (1→3)-linked Glc, (1→4,6)-linked Man, and (1→2,3,4)-linked Ara. In addition, REPS2-A exhibited excellent free radical scavenging (DPPH, ABTS, and reducing power) and antitumor activities. These results indicate its activity against growth of the human hepatocarcinoma cell HepG2 with IC50 values of 1.0mg/mL, compared to lower cytotoxic effects on normal human hepatocyte cell L02. Studying the underlying mechanisms indicated that REPS2-A induced both dose- and time-dependent cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase.

Effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for primary insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Primary insomnia is a widespread and refractory disease. Moxibustion therapy for insomnia shows some advantages compared with conventional therapies. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy for insomnia. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review of the CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data databases from their inception to July 2015 for RCTs that compared moxibustion with western medications, oral Chinese medicine, or other methods of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in patients with primary insomnia. The primary outcome measure was effective rate and secondary outcome measure was adverse events. Data collection and analysis included risk of bias evaluation, meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, publication bias and adverse events analysis according to corresponding criteria. RESULTS: The study included 22 RCTs (1,971 patients). The quality of the studies was low. The overall meta-analysis demonstrated that moxibustion was more effective for insomnia than western medications, oral Chinese medicine and other TCM therapies (RR = 1.17, 95 % CI 1.12 to 1.23, P < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that moxibustion was more effective for insomnia than western medications (RR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.09 to 1.24, P < 0.00001), oral Chinese medicine (RR = 1.11, 95 % CI 1.04 to 1.18, P = 0.002), and other TCM therapies (RR = 1.22, 95 % CI 1.15 to 1.30, P < 0.00001). There were no serious adverse effects associated with moxibustion therapy for insomnia, and the rate of adverse events was low. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to get the conclusion regarding the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for primary insomnia due to insufficient evidence, such as the high risk of bias in the included studies, small sample sizes, and few reports on adverse effects. Moxibustion should be considered as a novel therapeutic option for insomnia, and more rigorous clinical trials of moxibustion therapy for insomnia are needed to assess its effects.

Treatment of mites folliculitis with an ornidazole-based sequential therapy: A randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of Demodex infestations is often inadequate and associated with low effective rate. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of an ornidazole-based sequential therapy for mites folliculitis treatment. METHODS: Two-hundred patients with mites folliculitis were sequentially treated with either an ornidazole- or metronidazole-based regimen. Sebum cutaneum was extruded from the sebaceous glands of each patient's nose and the presence of Demodex mites were examined by light microscopy. The clinical manifestations of relapse of mites folliculitis were recorded and the subjects were followed up at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-treatment. RESULTS: Patients treated with the ornidazole-based regimen showed an overall effective rate of 94.0%. Additionally, at the 2, 4, 8, and 12-week follow-up, these patients had significantly lower rates of Demodex mite relapse and new lesion occurrence compared with patients treated with the metronidazole-based regimen (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sequential therapy using ornidazole, betamethasone, and recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rbFGF) gel is highly effective for treating mites folliculitis.

Syringotropic mycosis fungoides responding well to VELP chemotherapy: A case report.

Mycosis fungoides (MF), a low-malignant lymphoproliferative disorder, is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The current study reported a case of syringotropic MF, a rare variant of MF, which presented with reactive B cell proliferation, lymphoid follicle formation, hair loss and lymphadenopathy. The clinical manifestations of the patient were MF-like lumps. Immunohistochemical staining of AE1/AE3 showed that there were abundant infiltrated lymphocytes surrounding the syringocystadenoma. In addition, the direction of the lymphocyte arrangement was consistent with the meandering direction of syringocystadenoma. The patient did not respond to 1-month narrowband (311-nm) ultraviolet therapy; however, a good response was obtained subsequent to one cycle of chemotherapy with vincristine sulfate, etoposide, L-asparaginase and prednisone acetate (know as the VELP regimen). After 7 days of VELP chemotherapy, the skin lesions were ameliorated, hair loss was improved and lymphadenopathy disappeared. No lymphadenopathy or new skin lesions were observed during 6 months of follow-up.

[Impact of Precipitation on Fenghe River Water and Aquatic Microorganisms].

In view of that the Fenghe River water pollution has become more and more serious, nitrogen and organic matter pollution were put forward as the important study targets. Community structure of the microorganisms could reflect the water pollution condition to a certain degree. By investigating the correlation between the water condition changes and the microbial community variation, it make possible to look upon river pollution from different perspectives. By the use of Illumina high-throughout sequencing, we found that the dominant genera were Acinetobacter, Comamonadaceae, Pseudomonas and Escherichia in Fenghe River aquatic environment. Flavobacterium and Enterobacteriaceae which are known as bacteria closely related to human activities, were found to account for larger percentages in the wet season than in the dry season, thus showing that the river was more influenced by anthropogenic activities in the wet season. The water quality was better in the wet season, while the microbial community structure was more stable and the diversity condition was better in the dry season. From the aspect of chemical pollution and microbe, this research helps to carry out planning for protection of drinking water sources and improvement of water environmental condition.

Gender disparity in early death after ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Females with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have a higher risk of adverse outcomes because of receiving less evidence-based medical care. Our aim was to investigate the gender disparity in early death after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the current era. METHODS: A total of 1429 consecutive patients with STEMI in the Liaoning district were analyzed. We compared hospital care and cardiac event data by sex for in-patients with acute STEMI within 24 hours of symptom onset. RESULTS: In the emergency reperfusion group (n = 754), in-hospital mortality occurred in 4.2% of the males and 11.2% of the females (P = 0.001). In the non-emergency reperfusion group (n = 675), in-hospital mortality occurred in 13.0% of the males and 22.9% of the females (P = 0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed female sex as an independent risk factor of death for STEMI patients during hospitalization (OR = 1.691, P = 0.007). After controlling for patients who died within 24 hr after admission, female sex was no longer an independent risk factor (OR = 1.409, P = 0.259). CONCLUSION: Female sex was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality of STEMI patients, which is explained by an excess of very early deaths.

Relationship between low-density lipoprotein levels on admission and 1-year outcome in patients with acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction.

This study assessed the relationship between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels on admission and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (ASTEMI). Patients with ASTEMI who had a lipid profile tested within 24 hours of symptom onset were enrolled. They were stratified into high and low LDL-C groups according to whether their LDL-C was above (n = 501) or below (n = 575) the median level, respectively. The incidence of MACE, cardiovascular death, non-fatal MI, revascularization, and stroke was compared between the groups at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year. Survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard analysis were performed. In-hospital use of beta blockers was better in the high than in the low LDL-C group (76.6% vs. 69.7%, p = 0.01). Statin use was significantly higher in the high than in the low LDL-C group during follow-up (86.8% vs. 80.0%, p = 0.003 at1 month; 71.6% vs. 62.4%, p = 0.002 at 6 months; 67.8% vs. 61.2%, p = 0.03 at 1 year). The incidence of MACE on follow-up at 1 month was higher in the low than in the high LDL-C group (12.0% vs. 8.1%, p = 0.04). At 1 year, survival was not significantly different between the groups. Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that the incidence of MACE was significantly associated with hypertension, current smoking, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), in-hospital use of beta blockers, and statin use on follow-up (p < 0.01). LDL-C levels on admission in patients with ASTEMI had no significant effect on the 6-month and 1-year incidence of MACE, but the incidence of MACE was significantly higher in the low LDL-C group at 1 month. It would be relevant to further investigate the HDL-C level on admission, in-hospital use of beta blockers, and statin use during follow-up in relation to MACE.

[Effects of smoke on clinical prognosis of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of smoke on the clinical prognosis of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ASTEMI). METHODS: A total of 1213 consecutive ASTEMI patients were admitted into 20 hospitals in Liaoning province between May 2009 and May 2010. They were stratified into smoke (n = 588) and non-smoke (n = 625) groups. Basic demographic profiles, treatment data and clinical outcomes were compared between two groups. The primary endpoint was cardiac death and the secondary endpoints included non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and revascularization. Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed. RESULTS: The proportion of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the smoke group was significantly higher than that in the non-smoke group (40.8% vs 22.1%, P < 0.001). During the follow-up period, the medication rate was significantly higher in the smoke group than that in the non-smoke group (aspirin: 75.3% vs 62.2%, P < 0.001; clopidogrel: 40.5% vs 32.2%, P = 0.003; ß receptor blockade: 45.4% vs 36.0%, P = 0.001; angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB): 38.3% vs 32.2%, P = 0.026; statins: 57.3% vs 44.2%, P < 0.001). During the follow-up period, the rate of cardiac death was lower in the smoke group than that in the non-smoke group (10.2% vs 24.2%, P < 0.001). No significant differences existed between two groups. During the follow-up period, the rate of cardiac death was significantly correlated with smoke (HR 2.777, 95%CI 1.113 - 6.928, P = 0.029), PCI (HR 0.208, 95%CI 0.062 - 0.700, P = 0.011), age (HR 1.049, 95%CI 1.005 - 1.095, P = 0.028), aspirin (HR 0.165, 95%CI 0.061 - 0.446, P < 0.001) and statins (HR 0.382, 95%CI 0.317 - 0.462, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among the ASTEMI patients, the rate of cardiac death is significantly lower in the smoke group than that in the non-smoke group. And it is significantly correlated with such independent risk factors as smoke, PCI, age, aspirin and statins.

Effect of high-dose rosuvastatin loading before percutaneous coronary intervention in female patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Early loading statin therapy before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with reduced mortality and periprocedural myocardial injury. The aim of this study was to study the effect of rosuvastatin loading therapy before PCI in female patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS). METHODS: Consecutive 117 female patients with NSTEACS were randomly assigned to either the group of rosuvastatin loading before PCI (20 mg 12 hours before angioplasty procedure, with a further 10 mg dose 2 hours before procedure, the loading dose group, n = 59) or the no rosuvastatin treatment group before PCI (control group, n = 58). Periprocedural myocardial injury, periprocedural changes of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in serum and the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) 3 months and 6 months later were assessed. RESULTS: The incidence of periprocedural myocardial injury was higher in control group than loading dose group (CKMB: 10.17% vs. 25.86%, P = 0.027; Troponin I: 11.86% vs. 29.31%, P = 0.019). MACE occurred in 1.69% of patients in loading dose group and 12.07% of those in control group 3 months after procedure (P = 0.026), 3.39% vs. 17.24% at 6 months (P = 0.014). The levels of hs-CRP, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-a in serum were not significantly different between the two groups before PCI, but after PCI they were significantly higher in control group. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose rosuvastatin loading before PCI significantly reduced periprocedural myocardial injury and periprocedural inflammation cytokines release and improved 3-month and 6-month clinical outcomes in female patients with NSTEACS who underwent PCI.

Prospective multi-center study of female patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Liaoning province, China.

BACKGROUND: In cardiology, it is controversial whether gender influences prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (MI). We examined the 30-day and 1-year prognosis for female patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in Liaoning province, and we analyzed factors that influenced these outcomes. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, observational study in which patient data were collected by questionnaire at the time of diagnosis and at approximately 30 days and 1 year later by telephone inquiries. Patients were diagnosed with STEMI between June 1, 2009 and June 1, 2010 at any of the 20 hospitals that gave treatment representative of current STEMI treatment in Liaoning Province. Unified follow-up questionnaire was used to visit the STEMI patients. RESULTS: We analyzed data from a total of 1429 consecutive patients with STEMI in Liaoning province. Female patients were older (70.0 vs. 60.3, P < 0.001) and were less likely to receive emergency reperfusion therapy than male ones (39.2% vs. 58.0%, P < 0.001). Female gender was associated with higher unadjusted 30-day mortality rates (HR = 2.118, 95%CI: 1.572 - 2.854, P < 0.001) and higher unadjusted 1-year mortality rates (HR = 2.174, 95%CI: 1.659 - 2.848, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that female gender was not an independent predictor of 30-day mortality rates (HR = 1.273, 95%CI: 0.929 - 1.745, P = 0.133) nor of 1-year mortality rates (HR = 1.112, 95%CI: 0.831 - 1.487, P = 0.475). CONCLUSIONS: Women with STEMI appear to be at increased risk of 30-day and 1-year mortality compared with male STEMI patients, but this difference may be explained by older age and less frequent receipt of reperfusion therapy among the women.

[Impact of high-density lipoprotein levels at hospital admission on the outcome of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels at hospital admission on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACCE) in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (ASTEMI). METHODS: 1067 patients with ASTEMI who were admitted to the 20 hospitals in Liaoning region and with lipid profile tested within the 24 hours of admission from May 2009 until May 2010, were enrolled. Data on basic demographic, clinical, status on admission and method of treatment were collected. Rate on various medical use and MACCE (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, revascularization and stoke) were compared between the two groups through follow-up observation. Cox proportional hazard analysis was estimation. RESULTS: The median HDL-C level was 1.27 mmol/L, with 587 patients having HDL-C below and 489 patients HDL-C above the median level. The incidence rates of non-fatal myocardial infarction and MACCE at one-year follow-up period, was higher in low HDL-C group (4.8% vs. 0.9%, P<0.001; 23.7% vs. 18.1%, P=0.03, respectively). At one month follow-up, the incidence rate of non-fatal myocardial infarction was higher in low HDL-C group (1.4% vs. 0.0%, P=0.01). At six month follow-up, the incidence rates of non-fatal myocardial infarction and MACCE on one-year follow-up was higher in low HDL-C group (2.8% vs. 0.4%, P=0.003; 18.3% vs. 13.7%, P=0.04, respectively). RESULTS: from Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that age (HR=1.02, 95%CI: 1.006-1.035, P=0.005), diabetes (HR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.053-2.171, P=0.03), HDL-C level (HR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.340-0.921, P=0.02) were significantly related to the incidence of MACCE. CONCLUSION: The incidence rates of one year and six month MACCE (mainly non-fatal myocardial infarction) and one month non-fatal myocardial infarction were significant higher in patients with low than high HDL-C levels at admission while kept on the ascending along with time. Age, diabetes, HDL-C level were independent risk factors related to the incidence of MACCE.

[The role of gender difference on the prognosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyze the impact of gender difference on outcome and prognosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This was a prospective and multicentered observation study. All the patients with acute STEMI admitted to the hospitals from June 1(st) 2009 to June 1(st) 2010 were continuously recruited. In this study, a unified questionnaire was applied and the 382 patients satisfied the criteria. A unified follow-up questionnaire was used on patients who were discharged from the hospital. RESULTS: On average, the female patients were 8 years older than the males. The median "symptom-to-balloon time" was 312.5 minutes in females and 270.0 minutes in males, and it was significantly different (P = 0.007). During hospitalization, a higher proportion of female patients developed heart failure, angina and bleeding. No gender differences were found on the in-hospital mortality rates and medical therapy recommended by the guideline. The female patients were more prone to multi-vessel disease than males (P = 0.002). Success rates of primary PCI did not show any gender differences. One-month mortality and other cardiovascular events also did not show gender difference when the patients were followed for one month after being discharged. The rates of heart failure and re-hospitalization due to cardiac incidents among female patients were obviously higher than the males, three months after being discharged (P = 0.007, respectively). However, the three-month and long-term cardiac mortality did not show differences related to gender. Female patients were associated with higher all-cause mortality than that in males, but there was no statistically significant difference (female 4.2% vs. male 1.6%; P = 0.056). Data from multi-factor regression analysis showed that being female was not an independent predictor related to in-hospital mortality or during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Being female was not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality or during follow-up period among patients who were treated with primary PCI. Worse long-term outcome seen in female patients was likely to be explained by older age or longer pre-hospital delayed time.

[The impact of body mass index on the presentation, treatment and clinical outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the presentation, treatment, and clinical outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: 1414 patients with STEMI who were admitted to the 20 hospitals in Liaoning region from May 2009 until May 2010 were enrolled. Patients were stratified according to the BMI levels as normal weight group (18.5 kg/m(2) ≤ BMI < 24.0 kg/m(2)) (n = 485), overweight (24.0 kg/m(2) ≤ BMI < 28.0 kg/m(2)) (n = 736), or obesity (BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m(2)) (n = 193). Presentation, treatment and mortality during hospitalization, MACCE (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, revascularization and stroke) were compared between the three groups at 3-month and 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Obesity in patients with STEMI was associated with younger age (P < 0.001), being male (P < 0.001), with diabetes (P = 0.013) or hypertension (P < 0.001) and hyperlipidmia (P < 0.001). A higher prevalence of reperfusion treatment (P = 0.018), mainly percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (P < 0.001) was seen during the period of hospitalization. Rates of using other kinds of medicines as well as the mortalities during hospitalization, were similar among the groups with different BMI categories. At 3-month and 1-year follow-up, more use of asprin (3-months: P = 0.018; 1-year: P = 0.002) and ß-receptor blockers were seen in the obesity group (3-months: P = 0.025; 1-year: P = 0.030) while the use of other drugs were not significantly different among the three groups. The incidence rates of MACCE were not significantly different among the BMI categories while the cumulative survival rate was similar between obese group and normal weight group. Results from the Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that factors as age (HR = 1.045, 95%CI: 1.028-1.062, P < 0.001), diabetes (HR = 1.530, 95%CI: 1.107 - 2.301, P = 0.041), hyperlipidmia (HR = 2.127, 95%CI: 1.317 - 3.435, P = 0.002), urgent PCI (HR = 0.473, 95%CI: 0.307 - 0.728, P = 0.001) and the use of ß-receptor blockers at 3-months follow-up period (HR = 0.373, 95%CI: 0.195 - 0.713, P = 0.003) were significantly related to the incidence of MACCE at 1-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that patients with obesity presented with STEMI at younger age and having received active treatment of reperfusion and medicine, both the 3-month and 1-year outcomes did not show significant difference among the BMI categories.

Evaluation on factors influencing the heterotrophic growth on the soluble microbial products of autotrophs.

In this work, the heterotrophic growth on the microbial products of autotrophs and the effecting factors were evaluated with both experimental and modeling approaches. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis illustrated that ammonia oxidizers (AOB), nitrite oxidizers (NOB), and heterotrophs accounted for about 65%, 20%, and 15% of the total bacteria, respectively. The mathematical evaluation of experimental data reported in literature indicated that heterotrophic growth in nitrifying biofilm (30-50%) and granules (30%) was significantly higher than that of nitrifying sludge (15%). It was found that low influent ammonium resulted in a lower availability of soluble microbial products (SMP) and a slower heterotrophic growth, but high ammonium (>150 mg N L(-1)) feeding would lead to purely AOB dominated sludge with high biomass-associated products contained effluent, although the absolute heterotrophic growth increased. Meanwhile, the total active biomass concentration increased gradually with the increasing solids retention time, whereas the factions of active AOB, NOB, and heterotrophs varied a lot at different solids retention times. This work could be useful for better understanding of the autotrophic wastewater treatment systems.

[Onset timing of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in middle-aged and old patients].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences on onset timing of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in young and aged patients. METHODS: The exact onset time of symptoms was obtained from 1024 consecutive patients with STEMI admitted to our hospital between January 2000 and May 2010. Patients were classified as the middle-aged group [< 65 years old, mean (52.2 ± 8.0) years, n = 536] and old group [≥ 65 years old, (72.2 ± 5.5) years, n = 488], the difference of the onset months, weeks, weekdays and hours between two groups was compared. RESULTS: The high onset timing of STEMI in middle-aged group was October and February, Friday, Saturday and Wednesday, at 10 A.m. and 10 P.m. The high onset timing of STEMI in old group was October, January and March, Friday, Sunday and Monday, at 6 A.m. and 2 A.m. The incidences of STEMI in the old group were significant higher than in the middle-aged group in March (11.89%), on Sunday (15.97%) and Monday (17.42%), at 6 A.m. (6.35%) and 2 A.m. (5.74%) (all P < 0.05) while the onset rate was significant higher in February (9.89%), On Saturday (16.98%), At 8 P.m. (4.86%) and 10 P.m. (5.78%) in the middle-aged group than old group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The onset timing of STEMI in old patients was significant different from the middle-aged patients suggesting the onset timing of STEMI changes with aging.