Objective To explore the relationship between interleukin-18(IL-18)and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).Methods A total of 59 female SLE patients were divided into three groups,according to the IL-18 concentration:≤200 pg/mL(group A),>200-350 pg/mL(group B),>350 pg/mL(group C).The cardiovascular risk fac-tors including body mass index(BMI),systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure(DBP),fasting insulin and glucose,blood lip-id,brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(baPWV),and plasma homocysteine(Hcy)were determined in all patients.Results Compared with group A patients whose plasma IL-18 level was the lowest,the levels of insulin,triglyceride,Hcy and values of homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)were significantly higher in SLE patients of group C,whose plasma IL-18 level was the highest(P <0.05).Conclusion In patients with SLE,the synergistic effects of hyperinsulinaemia,insulin resistance,hyper-homocysteinaemia,and vascular stiffness most likely contribute to the elevation of plasma IL-18 concentrations.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) and high sensitivity C reactive protein(hs-CRP) in patients with acute ischemic stroke .Methods The total of 116 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 80 synchronously examined healthy people(controls) were collected .The levels of hs-CRP and A-FABP were detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) in all the subjects .Stroke severity were scored by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) .The patients with acute ischemic stroke were divided into the light (mRS≤3) and the severe group(mRS>3) .Changes of the level of hs-CRP and A-FABP were compared in two groups .Linear correlation and regression analysis were per-formed to hs-CRP and A-FABP .Results The levels of serum hs-CRP and A-FABP were significantly higher in acute ischemic stroke group than those in the control group .The severer the neurologic impairment degree was in the patients with acute ischemic stroke ,the higher the levels of serum hs-CRP and A-FABP .Linear correlation and regression analysis results showed that the level of A-FABP was significantly positively correlated with the level of hs-CRP .Conclusion The levels of serum hs-CRP and A-FABP is associated with acute ischemic stroke .The level of A-FABP is significantly positively correlated with the level of hs-CRP .The hs-CRP and A-FABP may have an action in occurrence and development of acute ischemic stroke .

Objective: To investigate the correlation between serum melatonin level and cardiac function, blood lipid in patients of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods: One hundred and seventy patients with HFpEF (HFpEF group) in Ninth Hospital of Xi′an City from May 2016 to May 2018 were selected. According to the cardiac function grading of New York Heart Association (NYHA), Ⅱ grade (cardiac function Ⅱ grade) was in 98 cases, and Ⅲ grade (cardiac function Ⅲ grade) was in 72 cases. Then, 32 healthy volunteers were selected as control group. The 2 groups were sampled at 2:00 and 7:00, and the level of melatonin was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between serum melatonin level and cardiac function, blood lipid were analyzed (Pearson correlation), including triglyeride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), N-terminal precursor brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), miral diastolic early and end-diastolic maximum blood flow velocity ratio (E/A) and peak value of early diastolic blood flow velocity in the mitral valve and peak value of the early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/e′). Results: The TG, TC, LDL-C, NTproBNP and hs-CRP in cardiac function Ⅲ grade patients were significantly higher than those in cardiac function Ⅱ grade patients: (1.51 ± 0.69) mmol/L vs. (1.15 ± 0.75) mmol/L, (4.03 ± 1.02) mmol/L vs. (3.47 ± 0.94) mmol/L, (1.42 ± 0.33) mmol/L vs. (1.17 ± 0.31) mmol/L, (3 438.54 ± 553.58) ng/L vs. (3 034.58 ± 557.35) ng/L and (4.26 ± 2.54) mg/L vs. (3.12 ± 2.13) mg/L, the HDL-C, ejection fraction and E/A were significantly lower than those in cardiac function Ⅱ grade patients: (2.44 ± 0.88) mmol/L vs. (2.97 ± 0.94) mmol/L, (56.23 ± 5.26)% vs. (61.11 ± 5.33)% and 0.82 ± 0.18 vs. 0.91 ± 0.17, and there were statistical differences (P<0.01). The melatonin levels at 2:00 and 7:00 in control group and cardiac function Ⅱgrade patients of HFpEF group were significantly higher than those in cardiac function Ⅲ grade patients of HFpEF group: (454.24 ± 123.54) and (432.68 ± 155.68) ng/L vs. (368.85 ± 98.52) ng/L, (483.25 ± 90.54) and (418.54 ± 103.57) ng/L vs. (345.85 ± 98.52) ng/L, the melatonin level at 7:00 in control group was significantly higher than that in cardiac function Ⅱ grade patients of HFpEF group, and there was statistical difference (P<0.01). In cardiac function Ⅱ grade patients of HFpEF group, the melatonin level was correlated with TG, TC, LDL-C and HDL-C (P<0.01); In cardiac function Ⅲ grade patients of HFpEF group, the melatonin level was correlated with NTproBNP, hs-CRP, ejection fraction, LVEDVI, E/A, E/e′, TG, TC, LDL-C and HDL-C (P<0.01 or <0.05). Conclusions The melatonin level is correlated with the level of blood lipid in HFpEF patients. Melatonin level is correlated with cardiac function Ⅲ grade patients, but this phenomenon is not observed in cardiac function Ⅱ grade patients.

Objective:To detect serum levels of vitamin A (Vit A), vitamin D(Vit D)25-hydroxy vitamin D[25-(OH)D] and vitamin E(Vit E) in children aged 0-6 years in Tibetan Plateau of Garzi Prefecture, thus providing references for physical examinations and prevention of 4 key diseases (rickets, malnutrition anemia, pneumonia and diarrhea) in children in plateau areas by relevant government departments.Methods:A total of 2 122 children who participated in physical examination in 12 townships of Xiangcheng County and 14 townships of Daocheng County, Garzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province from April 2017 to April 2019 with 0-6 years old were recruited for surveying physical measurements and collection of venous blood.Serum Vit A and Vit E levels were detected by high performance liquid chromatography.Serum levels of 25-(OH)D were detected by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The relationship between Vit A, Vit E and 25-(OH)D levels with the gender, age, seasonal change and altitude was analyzed.Results:The serum Vit A level, subclinical Vit A deficiency rate and marginal vitamin A deficiency rate were(1.05±0.27) μmol/L, 8.15%(173/2 122 cases) and 45.99%(976/2 122 cases), respectively in 2 122 children with 0-6 years old.There were significant differences in the serum Vit A level, the subclinical Vit A deficiency rate and the marginal vitamin A deficiency rate in children with different ages, seasons and altitudes (all P<0.05). The serum level of 25-(OH)D and 25-(OH)D deficiency rate insufficient rate were (24.65±6.45) ng/L, 6.03%(128/2 122 cases) and 16.59%(352/2 122 cases), respectively.There were significant differences in the serum level of 25-(OH)D, 25-(OH)D deficiency rate and 25-(OH)D insufficient rate in children with different ages and seasons (all P<0.05). The mean serum Vit E level, Vit E deficiency rate and Vit E insufficient rate were (7.81±1.74) mg/L, 2.78%(59/2 122 cases) and 29.59%(628/2 122 cases), respectively.There were significant differences in serum Vit E level, Vit E deficiency rate and Vit E insufficient rate in children with different ages and seasons (all P<0.05). The mean serum levels of Vit A and Vit D remained the lowest before the age of 1 year, and their deficiencies at this age were the most significant.The mean serum level of Vit E remained the lowest in >1-2 years old, and its deficiency and insufficient at this age were the most significant.Vit A, D and E levels were significantly affected by seasonal changes, which were significantly higher in the summer than in the spring, autumn and winter.In addition, Vit A and 25-(OH)D were significantly affected by the altitude, which were the lowest above 4 km altitude. Conclusions:The overall serum levels of Vit A, 25-(OH) D and E in children with 0-6 years old in Tibetan Plateau areas of Ganzi Prefecture are lower than those in plain areas.Vit A, 25-(OH) D and Vit E levels significantly differed in the age, season and altitude, which are related to the lack of local resources, insufficient maternal nutrition during pregnancy and insufficient intake after birth, as well as temperature and light caused by changes in local seasons and altitude.Therefore, it is necessary to make reasonable supplements during pregnancy to prevent vitamin deficiency.