LBH mRNA Expression and Polymorphisms in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background: This study was performed to determine the mRNA expression levels of limb-bud and heart (LBH) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to assess the associations of LBH rs7579944 and rs906868 polymorphisms with RA in a Chinese population. Methods: Real-time transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to determine the LBH mRNA expression in PBMCs from 53 patients with RA and 58 healthy controls, and LBH rs7579944 and rs906868 polymorphisms were genotyped in 328 RA patients and 449 healthy controls. Results: The LBH mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased in RA patients compared with healthy controls (p = 0.02). However, non-significant correlation between LBH mRNA expression in PBMCs and ESR (r = 0.14, p = 0.36), CRP (r = 0.17, p = 0.27) or DAS28-ESR (r = 0.23, p = 0.12) was found. There was no significant difference in neither genotype (p = 0.90) nor allele (p = 0.97) distribution of the LBH rs7579944 polymorphism between RA patients and healthy controls. The relationships between the major allele T of LBH rs7579944 polymorphism and the risk of RA under dominant and recessive model were examined, whereas non-significant evidence was found. Similarly, a non-significant signal was detected for the association of LBH rs906868 polymorphism with RA. Conclusions: Decreased expression of LBH mRNA in PBMCs might contribute to the pathogenesis of RA.

Association Between Nocturnal Sleep Duration and Obesity Indicators Among People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ningbo, China.

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the association between the nocturnal sleep duration and five obesity indicators, namely, visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), bodyweight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Ningbo, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Metabolic Management Centre (MMC) - Ningbo First Hospital data from 1st March 2018 to 28th February 2021. Adults with T2DM were included in the study. Simple and multiple (adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and health conditions) linear regression analyses were performed to identify the associations. Results: In terms of VFA, SFA, bodyweight, BMI and WC, the eligibility criteria were satisfied by 2771, 2771, 2863, 2863 and 2862 patients, respectively. In the unadjusted model, the shorter nocturnal sleep duration was associated with higher VFA, SFA, bodyweight, BMI and WC. In other words, an hour increase in the nocturnal sleep duration was associated with a decrease of 2.07 cm2 in VFA (regression coefficient = -2.07; 95% CI = -3.25 to -0.88), 2.67 cm2 in SFA (-2.67; -4.55 to -0.78); 0.82 kg in bodyweight (-0.82; -1.2 to -0.43), 0.2 kg/m2 in BMI (-0.2; -0.31 to -0.09) and 0.46 cm in WC (-0.46; -0.76 to -0.16). In the adjusted models, the shorter nocturnal sleep duration was still found to be associated with higher VFA, SFA, bodyweight, BMI and WC (except SFA and WC in models where we further adjusted for health conditions). Conclusion: The nocturnal sleep duration among people with T2DM in Ningbo, China is negatively associated with visceral and general obesity indicators (VFA, bodyweight and BMI). Thus, there is a need for appropriate interventions to address the issue of sleep deprivation.

Association Between Sleep Duration and Albuminuria in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ningbo, China.

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can lead to microvascular complications including diabetic kidney disease. Albuminuria is an important marker to diagnose kidney injury in T2DM patients and healthy sleep duration is important for maintaining good health in patients with T2DM. However, the association between sleep duration and albuminuria in T2DM patients is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between sleep duration and albuminuria in patients with T2DM in Ningbo, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at National Metabolic Management Centre (MMC) - Ningbo First Hospital from March 2018 to February 2021. Adult patients with T2DM were included in the study. The sleep duration (daytime and nocturnal) was self-reported. Albuminuria was defined as the presence of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the association. Results: There were 2688 T2DM patients in the study. In the unadjusted model (1), the odds of albuminuria increased with the daytime sleep duration (31-60 minutes: OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09-1.71; ≥61 minutes: 1.73, 1.33-2.24). Similarly, after adjusting for age and sex (model 2), the odds of albuminuria increased with the daytime sleep duration (31-60 minutes: 1.34, 1.07-1.68; ≥61 minutes: 1.69, 1.30-2.20). After adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, smoking, alcohol drinking, overweight/obesity, hypertension, hyperuricaemia, duration of T2DM, glycated haemoglobin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blocker usage and nocturnal sleep duration (model 3), the odds of albuminuria increased with the daytime sleep duration (31-60 minutes: 1.33, 1.04-1.71; ≥61 minutes: 1.71, 1.29-2.26). However, no relationship was found between nocturnal sleep duration and albuminuria. Conclusion: Longer daytime sleep is found to be associated with albuminuria in patients with T2DM in Ningbo, China but no association is found between nocturnal sleep duration and albuminuria. The findings are exploratory, and there is a need for longitudinal studies on this topic.

Relationship Between Thyroid Hormone and Liver Steatosis Analysis Parameter in Obese Participants: A Case-Control Study.

Objective: The thyroid hormone has been demonstrated to be associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in different populations. However, the relationship between thyroid hormone and the degree of liver steatosis in overweight/obese subjects is still unclear. Liver ultra-sound attenuation (LiSA) is a newly developed ultrasound attenuation parameter for the analysis of hepatic steatosis. The study aimed to characterize the relationship between thyroid hormone and LiSA in overweight/obese participants. Methods: This case-control study was performed in Ningbo First Hospital, China. A total of 24 lean, 66 overweight and 49 obese participants were consecutively recruited from January 2021 to May 2021. Thyroid hormone and other clinical features were measured. LiSA was acquired by using a Hepatus ultrasound machine. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations of LiSA and clinic indices. Results: Obese subjects had higher LiSA, fT3 and TSH levels than lean participants of similar age and sex (P < 0.05). LiSA was positively associated with the fT3 level. The multiple linear regression analyses showed that fT3 (ß = 0.353, P < 0.001) was independently associated with LiSA in overweight/obese participants. Conclusion: The fT3 level was independently associated with the degree of liver steatosis among the overweight/obese participants.

Expression and clinical significance of serum cystatin C in patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease.

The aim of this study is to explore the potential association between cystatin C (Cys-c) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in hypertensive patients.In this study, circulating levels of Cys-c in 62 essential hypertension (EH) patients, 147 hypertension with coronary heart disease (EH + CHD) patients, and 60 healthy volunteers were investigated using immunoturbidimetry. Then, we analyzed the correlations between Cys-C and other clinical parameters.Serum Cys-C level was significantly higher in the EH and EH + CHD groups than in the control group, and higher in the EH + CHD group than in the EH group. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that the diagnostic value of Cys-C for patients with hypertension combined CHD was 0.871(95% CI: 0.818-0.913). Serum Cys-C level was significantly higher in the double-vessel disease group and multi-vessel disease group than in the single-vessel disease group, and higher in the multi-vessel disease group than in the double-vessel disease group. Urinary albumin and CRP correlated positively with Cys-C, and HDL correlated negatively with Cys-C. Cys-C was an independent risk factor for CHD in hypertensive patients.Our results suggested that circulating Cys-C levels was up-regulated in patients with hypertension and CHD, and had correlation with the severity of coronary artery disease. As one of the important risk factors for CHD, Cys-C can predict the occurrence of CHD in patients with hypertension.