Quantification of left atrial strain in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy using cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial (LA) dysfunction is involved in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) strain imaging is a feasible and reproducible tool for examining global and regional LA functions, as well as left ventricular (LV) function in IIM patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of LA strain occurrence and strain rate for LA function assessment using CMR in IIM cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 36 IIM and 42 healthy control cases were included. Baseline ventricular function was comparatively assessed in both groups. LA strain occurrence and strain rate were examined by cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] utilizing an in-house semiautomated technique. LA global function indexes were quantitated, including reservoir, conduit, and booster-pump functions. RESULTS: A total of 78 participants were enrolled in this study. There was no significant difference in left/right ventricular routine functions between IIM patients and control individuals (p>0.05); the same results (p>0.05) was also observed between patients with high hs-cTnI and normal. However, LV mass index had significant difference (p1=0.003, p2<0.01). Compared with IIM patients and control individuals, only total strain (εs) (p4=0.046) and passive strain (εe) (p4=0.002) showed significant difference, and in cases with high hs-cTnI and normal hs-cTnI, there are differences for εs (p3=0.012) and εe (p4=0.047). The strongest association was found between εe and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (r=0.581, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: IIM cases have altered LA reservoir and conduit functions, and LA strain could reflect LA function.

[A case of acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by inhalation of hydrogen chloride].

Poisoning induced by inhalation of hydrogen chloride has significant effects on the respiratory system. It can cause severe pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the early stage, and even death in critical cases. As a novel treatment for ARDS, the efficacy of sivelestat sodium in infection-induced ARDS has been widely verified, but its application in ARDS caused by chemical poisoning is still scarce in literature. Here we report a case of ARDS induced by hydrogen chloride inhalation which was successfully treated with sivelestat sodium and conventional treatment.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial feature tracking for the determination of left atrial strain in hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

AIM: To measure the left atrial (LA) function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; with [OHCM] and without obstruction [NOHCM]) and hypertension-related left ventricular hypertrophy (H-LVH) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging feature tracking (CMR-FT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who met the criteria for HCM (n=68), H-LVH (n=46), and 30 healthy controls participated. Left atrial strain was analysed using CMR-FT in cine images with two and four chambers. RESULTS: The strain rate and LA strain measurements showed that patients with HCM, and H-LVH had impaired conduit and reservoir functions (versus controls). These capacities were more severely impaired in OHCM than those seen in NOHCM and H-LVH. The LA volume parameters (LAVIpac, LAVImin and LAVImax) from the OHCM group were higher than both the NOHCM and H-LVH groups (all p<0.05). There were differences between the OHCM and H-LVH groups in terms of the parameters for LA reservoir function (εs), booster pump function (SRa), and conduit function (SRe, LA passive EF, εe; p<0.05). The strongest correlations included the associations between LA total EF and εs, εe and LA passive EF, and SRe and LA passive EF. CONCLUSION: CMR-FT can reliably identify LA dysfunction and deformation in the early stages of HCM and H-LVH.

Predictive value of major adverse cardiac events by T2-mapping texture analysis of the myocardial remote zone in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

AIM: To assess the predictive value of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by T2-mapping texture analysis (TA) of the myocardial remote zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 155 patients, who were diagnosed with AMI and were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), and 32 healthy controls who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) were analysed retrospectively. T2-mapping TA of the myocardial remote zone was conducted accordingly. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the occurrence of MACEs. The primary outcome was a composite of MACEs. RESULTS: Among 155 patients, 32 (20.6%) patients suffered MACEs, and the most common event was non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (84.3%). Five independent texture features on T2-mapping were selected: Perc.50%, S(4,-4)AngScMom, S(1,1)InvDfMom, S(0,2)DifEntrp, and Horzl_LngREmph. Among them, the mean value of Horzl_LngREmph in the myocardial remote zone among all patients, MACEsnegative, and MACEs-positive was 21.64, 19.12, and 34.52, respectively. Horzl_LngREmph provided the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) value, which enabled two subgroups to be distinguished (AUC = 0.914, p<0.05). According to the results of the univariate analysis, combined with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) extent and the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy, Horzl_LngREmph, was strongly associated with the occurrence of MACEs (p<0.05, hazard ratio: 1.64, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-4.51). CONCLUSION: Together with LGE extent, Horzl_LngREmph, a texture feature obtained from T2-mapping TA of the myocardial remote zone, could predict the occurrence of MACEs in AMI patients.

Rapid detection of extended-spectrum ß-Lactamases producers in Enterobacteriaceae using a calorimetry approach.

AIM: To design and assess a novel protocol that employs isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) for rapid detection of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producers in clinical pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 69 clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates were examined in the new ESBL-ITC test by examining the heat profiles associated with enzyme hydrolysis of different substrates (imipenem, cefotaxime and clavulanic acid). The presence of ß-lactamase genes in the bacteria tested was confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing. Comparative analysis between ESBL-ITC and conventional minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC)/combined disk method (CDM) showed high agreement between the two assays. However, the ESBL-ITC test had a remarkable advantage of providing testing result within 1 h, in comparison to the 32-48 h required by MIC/CDM. CONCLUSIONS: The ESBL-ITC test developed in this work offers a new option for rapid and accurate detection of ESBL-producers. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Timely detection of ESBL-producers is vital to guide the decision-making process in clinical treatment as well as in hospital-infection control. The new ESBL-ITC test provides a rapid phenotypic assay that can be further adapted for clinical diagnosis of ESBL-producing pathogens.

Texture analysis applied in T1 maps and extracellular volume obtained using cardiac MRI in the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hypertensive heart disease compared with normal controls.

AIM: To assess the potential of texture analysis (TA) applied in T1 maps and extracellular volume (ECV) obtained using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and hypertensive heart disease (HHD) compared with normal controls (NC). Strain parameters were analysed to compare with final TA models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 66 HCM patients, 39 HHD patients, and 41 NC. Step-wise dimension reduction and feature selection were performed by reproducibility, machine learning, collinearity, and multivariable regression analysis to select the texture features that enable diagnosis of and differentiation between HCM and HHD. Strain parameters were calculated by short-axis and three long-axis cine sequences. RESULTS: Independent features in T1 maps and ECV analysis allowed for the differentiation between patients (HCM and HHD) and NC. Of the best-calculated model, the areas under the receiver operating curve (AUCs) were as follows: 0.969 for T1 map and 0.964 for ECV. To distinguish HCM from HHD, two independent features were screened out for both T1 and ECV maps. The AUCs were as follows: 0.793 for T1 map and 0.894 for ECV. Radial, circumferential, and longitudinal strain parameters could differentiate patients from NC, but only longitudinal strain parameters was significantly different between HCM and HHD. CONCLUSIONS: Texture analysis of T1 maps and ECV shows high accuracy in differentiating hypertrophic myocardium from NC, and HCM from HHD. Strain parameters are able to demonstrate the difference between patients and NC, but were less impressive in differentiating HCM and HHD.

[Establishment and validation of prognosis predictive model using m6A RNA methylation regulators in children acute myeloid leukemia].

Objective: To figure out the association between the expression of m6A RNA methylation regulators and the prognosis of children AML, and provide genetic markers for monitoring the progression and recurrence of AML. Methods: Twenty two m6A RNA methylation regulators were firstly analyzed using the data from Therapeutically Applicable Research To Generate Effective Treatments(TARGET) database and The Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx) database, Wilcoxon rank test was performed to analyze the differentially expression of m6A RNA methylation regulators between the AML and normal tissue, 296 AML children were divided into training cohort and validation cohort by simple random sampling method, Lasso regression was used to screen out the risk factors and the multivariate Cox regression was applied for establishing prognosis predicting model in training cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival curve, time-dependent ROC curve and multivariate Cox regression were used to estimate the efficiency of risk score calculated by predictive model in validation cohort. Results: Twenty one m6A genes were up regulated in AML compared to Normal patients. Five m6A RNA methylation regulators(ZC3H13, YTHDC2, HNRNPA2B1, METTL3, METTL5) were included in final predicting model. Risk score could independently predict the survival of AML patients in training cohort(HR:2.72, 95%CI: 1.54-4.81, P=0.000 6) and validation cohort(HR:2.01, 95%CI:1.14-3.50, P=0.016). Low-risk patients had better prognoses than high-risk patients both in training cohort(P=0.001 9) and validation cohort(P=0.023). Conclusion: This prognosis predicting model constructed by m6A RNA methylation regulators could independently predict the survival prognosis in AML children, and should be helpful for clinical therapy.

The invasion status of lymphovascular space and lymph nodes in cervical cancer assessed by mono-exponential and bi-exponential DWI-related parameters.

AIM: To investigate whether mono-exponential and bi-exponential diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-related parameters of the primary tumour can evaluate the status of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with cervical carcinoma preoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients with cervical carcinoma were enrolled, who underwent preoperative multi b-value DWI and radical hysterectomy. They were classified into LVSI(+) versus LVSI(-) and LNM(+) versus LNM(-) according to postoperative pathology. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure molecular diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D∗), and perfusion fraction (f) were calculated from the whole tumour (_whole) and tumour margin (_margin). All parameters were compared between LVSI(+) and LVSI(-) and between LNM(+) and LNM(-). Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of these parameters. RESULTS: f_margin and D∗_whole showed significant differences in differentiating LVSI(+) from LVSI(-) tumours (p=0.002, 0.008, respectively), while LNM(+) tumours presented with significantly higher ADC_margin than that of LNM(-) tumours (p=0.009). The other parameters were not independent related factors with the status of LVSI or LNM according to logistic regression analysis (p>0.05). The area under the ROC curve of f_margin combined with D∗_whole in discriminating LVSI(+) from LVSI(-) was 0.826 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.691-0.961), while ADC_margin in differentiating LNM(+) from LNM(-) was 0.788 (95% CI: 0.648-0.928). CONCLUSIONS: The parameters generated from mono-exponential and bi-exponential DWI of the primary cervical carcinoma could help discriminate its status regarding LVSI (f_margin and D∗_whole) and LNM (ADC_margin).

Biventricular tissue tracking demonstrating associations between left ventricular myocardial extracellular volume, pulmonary artery pressure, and reduced right ventricular ejection fraction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus using cardiovascular MRI.

AIM: To investigate the feasibility and prognostic value of biventricular strain analysis for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and relationship to left ventricular (LV) myocardial fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension (PAH), and right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (RVEF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 SLE patients (47 women; 34.4±12 years) and 15 controls (13 women; 32.9±8.6 years) were imaged via echocardiography and a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (sPAP) was assessed using echocardiography. Biventricular global circumferential strain (GCS), global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain rate (GCSR), and global longitudinal strain rate (GLSR) as well as LV myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) were derived for each subject. RESULTS: Elevated LV ECV was significantly associated with LV GCS (beta -0.428, p=0.000), GLS (beta 0.404, p=0.000), GCSR (beta -0.350, p=0.006), GLSR (beta -0.445, p=0.000) and RV GCS (beta -0.373, p=0.000), and the presence of reduced RVEF was significantly associated with LV GCS (beta -0.338, p=0.002), GLS (beta -0.465, p=0.000) and RV GCS (beta -0.465, p=0.000). Raised sPAP was significantly associated with RV GLS (beta 0.445, p=0.000) and GCSR (beta -0.387, p=0.001). Moreover, there were significantly correlations between LV and RV strain and strain rate. CONCLUSIONS: Biventricular strain analysis may be a better prognostic tool for patients with SLE as it allows greater comprehensive analysis and more definitive treatment planning compared to separate assessment of LV or RV contractility.

[Spectrometric analyses of larotaxel and larotaxel liposomes quantification by high performance liquid chromatography].

OBJECTIVE: Larotaxel is a new chemical structure drug, which has not been marketed worldwide. Accordingly, the standard identification and quantification methods for larotaxel remain unclear. The spectrometric analyses were performed for verifying weight molecular formula, molecular weight and chemical structure of larotaxel. Besides, a quantification method was developed for measuring larotaxel in the liposomes. METHODS: The molecular formula, molecular weight and chemical structure of larotaxel were studied by using mass spectrometry (MS), infra-red (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometric techniques. The absorption wavelength of larotaxel was investigated by UV-vis spectrophotometry full-wavelength scanning. Besides, a quantification method was developed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and then validated by measuring the encapsulation efficacy of larotaxel liposomes. RESULTS: The four spectral characteristics of larotaxel were revealed and the corresponding standard spectra were defined. It was confirmed that larotaxel had the structure of tricyclic diterpenoids, with the molecular formula of C45H53NO14, the molecular weight of 831.900 1, and the maximum absorption wavelength of 230 nm. The quantitative method of larotaxel was established by using HPLC with a reversed phase C18 column (5 µm, 250 mm×4.6 mm), a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (75:25, volume/volume), and a detection wavelength of 230 nm. The validation study exhibited that the established HPLC method was stable, and had a high recovery and precision in the quantitative measurement of larotaxel in liposomes. In addition, a new kind of larotaxel liposomes was also successfully prepared. The particle size of the liposomes was about 105 nm, with an even size distribution. And the encapsulation efficiency of larotaxel in the liposomes was above 80%. CONCLUSION: The present study offers reference standard spectra of larotaxel, including MS, IR, NMR, and UV-vis, and confirms the molecular formula, molecular weight and chemical structure of larotaxel. Besides, the study develops a rapid HPLC method for quality control of larotaxel liposomes.

Current Research and Prospects on Postmortem Interval Estimation.

The researches on postmortem interval （PMI） estimation are very important and meaningful in forensic science. PMI estimation is also an important issue that must be solved in practice of forensic pathology. There are many defects existing in traditional methods for PMI estimation, so it is imperative to introduce new pathways. With the emergence of various new technologies, the researches on PMI estimation have a tendency from simple to complex with a growth of data. The present review firstly summarizes a series of methods used for PMI estimation, and then gives an outlook for the application of artificial intelligence algorithms in this field.

Succession Law of Intestinal Flora after Death in SD Rats.

OBJECTIVES: To initially explore the sequential changes in the intestinal flora of corpse for the estimation of postmortem interval （PMI）. METHODS: Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, and samples were taken from their intestines using cotton swab to extract the DNA of intestinal flora. The 16S rRNA V3 universal primers were selected for PCR, and the PCR products were used for denatured gradient gel electrophoresis. The diversity and similarity analysis of intestinal flora were analyzed between groups, and the bands were cut from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. After purification, PCR and sequencing, the percentage of major bacteria in each group was obtained. RESULTS: The flora diversity showed a reduced tendency from 1st to 30th day after death （ P<0.05）, while the intra-group similarity showed a downward trend （ P<0.05）. The number of bands and intra-group similarity coefficient （Cs） on the first day was higher than that of other groups （ P<0.05）. The intra-group Cs of the 25th and 30th day had a significant difference compared with the 5th day （ P<0.05）. At the genus level, the intestinal flora was mainly composed of Enterococcus sp. on the 1th and 5th day after death, Bacillus thuringienssis was the dominant species on the 10th, 15th and 20th day, and Enterococcus faecalis became the dominant species on the 25th and 30th day. CONCLUSIONS: The composition and structure of intestinal flora change significantly in rats with the time after death, which indicates that the succession of intestinal flora is related to the postmortem interval.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive heart disease with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction: insight from altered mechanics and native T1 mapping.

AIM: To explore the relationship between extracellular volume (ECV), native T1, and systolic strain in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (HTN LVH) with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T1 mapping was performed in 45 patients with late gadolinium enhancement positive (LGE+) HCM (mean age, 53±6 years), 11 patients with LGE- (LGE-) HCM (mean age, 56±5 years), and 20 patients with HTN LVH (mean age, 55±6 years) on at 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the modified look-locker inversion-recovery (MOLLI) pulse sequence. Mean T1 value, ECV and circumferential strain parameters were determined for each patient. RESULTS: Overall, the HCM patients had higher native T1 values (1242.92±68.94) and ECV (0.31±0.05) in comparison to those of the HTN LVH patients (1197±46.80, 0.27±0.04; p<0.05). In the subgroup analysis, the HCM LGE+ patients had the highest native T1 values among the three groups. The HCM LGE+ patients had higher ECV than the LGE- patients. HCM LGE- patients had higher ECV than HTN LVH patients (p<0.05). Peak systolic circumferential strain and early diastolic strain rates were reduced in the HCM LGE+ patients in comparison to the HCM LGE- and HTN LVH patients (p<0.05). Reduced peak systolic and early diastolic circumferential strain rates were associated with increased levels of ECV and native T1 values among all the patients. CONCLUSION: HCM LGE+ patients had higher native T1 values, higher ECV, and an associated reduction in early diastolic strain rates and peak systolic circumferential strains when compared to the HCM LGE- and HTN LVH patients with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction.

T2* relaxation time in the detection and assessment of aggressiveness of peripheral zone cancer in comparison with diffusion-weighted imaging.

AIM: To investigate the feasibility of T2* relaxation time for distinguishing benign from malignant regions, as well as tumour aggressiveness, within the peripheral zone (PZ) of the prostate in comparison with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with prostate cancer underwent 3 T magnetic resonance imaging using multi-echo T2* and DWI (maximum b-value, 2000 s/mm(2)). Parametric maps were obtained for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and T2* values. Two radiologists reviewed these maps and measured ADC and T2* values in sextants positive for cancer at biopsy. Data were analysed using mixed-model analysis of variance and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Ninety-three sextants exhibited a Gleason score of 6; 59 exhibited a Gleason score of 7 or 8. The T2* value was significantly lower in cancerous sextants than in the benign PZ (48.69+0.60 versus 74.14+0.56, p<0.001), as well as in cancerous sextants with higher rather than lower Gleason scores (43.18+0.89 versus 52.18+0.55, p<0.001). The T2* value showed significantly greater specificity for differentiating cancerous sextants from benign PZ than ADC (93.1% versus 89.7%, p<0.001), with equal sensitivity (82.8% versus 81%, p>0.05). The T2* value exhibited significantly greater sensitivity and specificity for differentiating sextants with low- and high-grade cancer than ADC (79.6% versus 64.5% and 81.4% versus 72.9%, respectively; p<0.05). The T2* value had a significantly greater area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for differentiating sextants with low- and high-grade cancer than ADC (0.77 versus 0.71, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings suggest that the T2* relaxation time has increased diagnostic value compared with DWI in prostate PZ cancer assessment.

Hantavirus infection in rodents and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Shaanxi province, China, 1984-2012.

The transmission of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is deeply influenced by the reservoir and hantavirus prevalence rate. In this study, a surveillance on human HFRS cases, relative rodent abundance, and hantavirus infection prevalence was conducted in Shaanxi province, China, during 1984-2012. A generalized linear model with Poisson-distributed residuals and a log link was used to quantify the relationship between reservoir, virus and HFRS cases. The result indicated that there was a significant association of HFRS incidence with relative rodent density and the prevalence rate. This research provides evidence that the changes of infection prevalence in the reservoir could lead directly to the emergence of a new epidemic. It was concluded that the measurement of a number of these variables could be used in disease surveillance to give useful advance warning of potential disease epidemics.

Seroprevalence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in southeastern China and analysis of risk factors.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) has been prevalent for some time in China and it was first identified in 2010. However, the seroprevalence of SFTSV in the general population in southeastern China and risk factors associated with the infection are currently unclear. Blood samples were collected from seven counties across Zhejiang province and tested for the presence of SFTSV-specific IgG antibodies by ELISA. A total of 1380 blood samples were collected of which 5·51% were seropositive for SFTSV with seroprevalence varying significantly between sites. Seroprevalence of SFTSV in people who were family members of the patient, lived in the same village as the patient, or lived in a different village than the patient varied significantly. There was significant difference in seroprevalence between participants who bred domestic animals and participants who did not. Domestic animals are probably potential reservoir hosts and contact with domestic animals may be a transmission route of SFTSV.

Association of TCF7L2 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese Hui population.

Diabetes is one of costly chronic diseases. Previous studies across several ethnicities have shown that polymorphisms in the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene were strongly associated with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In the present study, the association between the TCF7L2 gene and the susceptibility to T2DM in a Chinese Hui population was interrogated. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and allelic specific PCR were employed for examining the TCF7L2 gene rs12255372 (G>T) and rs290487 (C>T), and rs7901695 (T>C) polymorphisms, respectively, in 109 healthy individuals and 111 subjects with T2DM who were of Chinese Hui descent and lived in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. The results showed that the genotypic frequency of rs290487 and the allelic frequency distributions of the rs7901695 and rs290487 loci were not significantly different between patients and controls in this population. However, both the genotypic and the allelic frequencies at rs12255372 exhibited statistical differences between the patients with T2DM and the unaffected cohort (P < 0.01). In addition, the frequency of the G allele at the rs12255372 locus in the patients was higher than that in healthy individuals (OR = 1.198, 95%CI = 1.097-1.307). These findings suggest that the TCF7L2 rs12255372 (G>T) polymorphism might be one of the most important genetic factors associated with T2DM susceptibility, and that individuals in the Chinese Hui population who carry a G allele at this locus might be at risk to develop T2DM.

Apparent diffusion coefficient measurements of bilateral kidneys at 3 T MRI: effects of age, gender, and laterality in healthy adults.

AIM: To investigate the effects of age and gender on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements of bilateral kidneys at 3 T MRI, and compare the ADC values of left and right kidneys. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 137 healthy participants (mean age 42.8 ± 14.7 years; age range 16-75 years) comprising 68 male and 69 female participants were enrolled. Three Tesla echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of bilateral kidneys was performed and ADC values were measured in the cortex, medulla, and whole parenchyma. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression were performed to determine the associations between the ADC values in each region and age. Effects of age and gender on ADC values were analysed using two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). The paired-samples t-test was established to compare the ADC values between left and right kidneys. RESULTS: ADC values were significantly higher in the young group (≤50 years) than in the old group (>50 years), and correlated inversely with the age in all regions. Male participants had higher ADC values than female participants in all regions except left medulla. Two-factor ANOVA of age × gender showed no significant interactions between the variables age and gender were found. No significant differences in ADC values between left and right kidneys were observed. CONCLUSION: Renal ADC values are age- and gender-dependent, and show no significant difference between left and right kidneys. Age- and gender-related effects should be taken into consideration in future renal DWI studies when using normal ADC values from health controls.

Association of VDR polymorphisms with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese Han and Hui populations.

We investigated the association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was conducted to examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the rs1544410 (BsmI, G>A), rs757343 (Tru9I, G>A), rs731236 (TaqI, T>C), and rs739837 (BglI, G>T) loci of the VDR gene in 334 healthy individuals (Hui 115, Han 219) and 355 T2DM patients (Hui 154, Han 201) living in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. The genotypic frequency and allelic frequency distributions in the VDR gene showed no significant difference between T2DM patients and controls in the Chinese Hui population. However, statistical differences in the genotypic frequency at rs739837 and in the genotypic and allelic frequencies at rs1544410 were observed between T2DM patients and controls in the Chinese Han population (P < 0.05). Patient-control haplotype analyses using the SHEsis online haplotype analysis software showed that the G allele frequency of rs1544410 in the T2DM group was higher than that in the control group [odds ratio (OR) = 1.738, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.055-2.865], suggesting that the G allele is a risk factor of T2DM in the Chinese Han population. The frequency of haplotype GGCT between cases and controls was significantly different in both Chinese Hui [OR (95%CI) = 4.714 (1.04-21.36)] and Han populations [OR (95%CI) = 1.723 (1.03-2.883)] (P < 0.05), implying that the haplotype GGCT of the VDR gene is associated with susceptibility to T2DM in these ethnicities.