Cohort studies are important observational epidemiological studies. In this perspective, we briefly introduced several ongoing prospective cohort studies of cardiometabolic diseases in China and in the U. S. , which have shaped our current understanding of cardiometabolic diseases. We hope that this perspective could shed lights on the research of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Child ; Humans ; Male ; Thyroiditis, Suppurative ; pathology

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Porokeratosis ; genetics ; Rectal Neoplasms ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo compare five materials commonly used in dentistry, including three types of metals and two types of ceramics, by using different sequences of three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) field strengths (0.35, 1.5, and 3.0 T).

METHODSThree types of metals and two types of ceramics that were fabricated into the same size and thickness as an incisor crown were placed in a plastic tank filled with saline. The crowns were scanned using an magnetic resonance (MR) machine at 0.35, 1.5, and 3.0 T field strengths. The TlWI and T2WI images were obtained. The differences of various materials in different artifacts of field MR scans were determined.

RESULTSThe zirconia crown presented no significant artifacts when scanned under the three types of MRI field strengths. The artifacts of casting ceramic were minimal. All dental precious metal alloys, nickel-chromium alloy dental porcelain, and cobalt-chromium ceramic alloy showed varying degrees of artifacts under the three MRI field strengths.

CONCLUSIONZirconia and casting ceramics present almost no or faint artifacts. By contrast, precious metal alloys, nickel-chromium alloy dental porcelain and cobalt-chromium ceramic alloy display MRI artifacts. The artifact area increase with increasing magnetic field.

Artifacts ; Ceramics ; Chromium Alloys ; Crowns ; Dental Alloys ; Dental Materials ; Dental Porcelain ; Magnetic Fields ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Zirconium

Objective To detect the positive expression level of CD3+ mRANK+ cells in the peripheral blood and the level of sRANKL and OPG in serum and culture supernatant of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and investigate the association between RANKL/RANK/OPG system and the destruction of RA.Methods Twenty-four RA patients and 20 healthy controls were collected in the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.The peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) were extracted,subsequently stimulated in vitro with PHA for 72 hours.Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the positive expression level of CD3+ mRANK+ cells in the peripheral blood,and ELISA was used to detect the level of sRANKL and OPG in serum and culture supernatant.Clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded.Multivariate linear regression and t-test were used to analyze the data from different groups.Results There was no statistical significant difference in the expression level of CD3+ mRANK+ cells [(14±4)％ vs (15±7)％,P＞0.05] in RA patients compared with that in healthy controls.Compared with healthy controls,the level of sRANKL [(133±49) vs (41 ±8) pmol/L,P＜0.05],OPG [(390±154) vs (222±38) pg/ml,P＜0.05] and sRANKL/OPG [(0.40 ±0.23) vs (0.19±0.05),P＜0.05] increased in the serum of RA patients.The level of sRANKL [(34±19) vs (17±5) pmol/l,P＜0.05] and sRANKL/OPG [(0.39±0.23) vs (0.19 ±0.05),P＜0.05] increased in culture supernatant of RA patients.Multivariate linear regression showed that there was a negative correlation between DAS28 and the level of OPG in serum in RA ((β)=-0.681,t=3.315,P=0.005).There was a positive correlation between anti-CCP and sRANKL/OPG ratio inserum in RA((β)=0.497,t=2.326,P=0.040).There was a negative correlation between mRANKL and the Sharp method ((β)=0,522,t=2.370,P=0.032).There was a negative correlation between HAQ and the Sharp method ((β)=0.559,t=2.536,P=0.023).Conclusion Abnormality of RANKL shedding of T lymphocytes may be another inmmune machanism for the bone destruction of RA,The level of mRANKL expressed by activated T cell is a risk factor for the severity of bone damage of RA.In the bone destruction of RA,Anti-CCP antibody and RANKL/RANK/OPG system may be closely related.

Crush Syndrome ; therapy ; Disasters ; Earthquakes ; Humans

Objective To establish a method for the determination of 17 kinds of free amino acid in serum by the ultra perform-ance liquid chromatography(UPLC) with AQC pre-column derivatization .Methods After proteins precipitation in serum sample by acetonitrile ,free amino acids with aminoquinoline-N-butyl hydroxy diimide and carbamate(AQC) were reacted to generate the struc-tural stable derivative products with ultraviolet absorption .These products were separated by reversed-phase C18 column ,detected with UV detector and quantitated by the external standard .Results The within-run precision of 17 kinds of free amino acid was 2 . 81% -7 .35% and the between-run precision was 7 .44% -15 .40% .The linear relationship was good in the range of 2 .5-250μmol/L ,the linear correlation coefficient was 0 .9960 -1 .0000 ,RSD<3% .Conclusion Using this method for determining 17 kinds of amino acid in serum ,the complete separation is obtained within 10 min ,the results are accurate ,stable and highly efficient .

Objective To investigate the significance of the soluble Apo-1/Fas(sApo-1/Fas) in differentiating tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion.Methods The level of sApo-1/Fas was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).in serum and pleural effusion of 50 cases with malignant pleural effusion and 48 cases with tuberculous pleural effusion.Results The level of sApo-1/Fas in the serum and pleural effusion of malignant pleural effusion patients were ( 16.3 ± 2.5 ) μg/L and ( 38.6 ± 13.5) μg/L,significantly higher than those of tuberculous patients with pleural effusion( all P ＜ 0.05 ).The difference of rates of serum and pleural effusion in malignant pleural effusion and tuberculous pleural effusion patients was significant( P ＜ 0.05 ).The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of sApo-1/Fas in serum and malignant pleural effusion were 66.0％ and 93.8％ and 79.6％.Conclusion The detecting of sApo-1/Fas may play some role in differentiating tuberculous and malignant pleural effusion.

Objective To analyze the effect of laparoscopic salpingo.stomy in the treatment of infertile caused by hydrosalpinx,and explore the reasonable treatment method for improving pregancy rate.Methods 130 infertile women with hydrosalpinx were treated with salpingostomy firstly,some unsuccessful cases were treated with salpingectomy.The pregnancy rate between successfully salpingostomied patients and unsuccessfully salpingostomied patients was also compared.Results 85 cases were salpingostomied successfully,the successful rate was 65.4％,among these patients 40 received IVF-ET,there was no difference in the natural pregnancy rate between singly hydrosalpinx (17.9％) and double hydrosalpinx(16.7％) (x2 =0.06,P ＞ 0.05),but the artificial pregnancy rate in single hydrosalpinx(70.0％) was higher than double hydrosalpinx (35.0％) (x2 =4.912,P ＜ 0.05).Among 45 unsuccessfully salpingostomied patients,14 cases underwent salpingectomy,all patients received more than two times of IVF-ET treatment,the pregnancy rate in salpingectomied patients (21.4％) was higher than unsalpingectomied (3.2％) (x2 =3.946,P ＜ 0.05).The artificial pregnancy rate of successfully salpingostomied patients (52.2％) was higher than unsuccessful patients (21.4％) (x2 =4.055,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Salpingostomy can raise the pregnancy rate (natural or artificial),it is beneficial to do salpingectomy for unsuccessfully salpingostomied patients who want to receive IVF-ET.

Objective To detect the expression of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) and its significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods The expression of HDAC6 was measured by SP staining in 70 cases of NSCLC and 18 cases of normal lung tissues.Results Positive rate of HDAC6 immunostaining in NSCLC was 58.57％,which was significantly higher than 16.67％ in normal lung tissues(P ＜0.01 ).No correlation was found between HDAC6 expression and the age,sex,differentiated level,histological type ( P ＞0.05).But the expression level of HDAC6 was closely related to clinical stage and lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion HDAC6 over expression may be related to the pathogenesis and development of NSCLC.