Objective To investigate the relationship between vascular endothelial function and insulin resistance(IR) and the incidence of metabolic syndrome(MS).Methods A seven-year follow-up study was conducted in 583 simple obese subjects who were chosen in 2000.Body fat,blood pressure,lipid profile,plasma glucose,insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) and endothelium- dependent dilatation(EDD) were measured before and after the follow-up.Results A total of 177 new cases with MS were found during this seven years,which was 33.78% of all subjects who were followed up in 2007.Cumulative incidence of MS among seven-year was 38.14% in the impaired EDD group and 48.11% in the impaired EDD with IR group,both rates were higher than that of the IR group(25.00%)(P

Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fibroma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of sirolimus-based immunosuppression administered on heart transplant recipients with chronic renal dysfunction.

METHODSFrom June 2004 to December 2008, standard calcineurin inhibitors (CNI)-based immunosuppressive regimen was changed to reduced-dose CNI plus sirolimus due to CNI-related chronic renal dysfunction in 20 out of 138 cardiac transplant recipients at Fuwai Hospital. The standard immunosuppressive regimen included steroid, CNI (cyclosporine or tacrolimus), and mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine. Sirolimus was started at 0.75 - 1.50 mg/d with titration to achieve levels of 5 - 15 µg/L, and CNI dose was reduced gradually to 1/2-2/3 of the baseline level. Patients were followed for changes in renal function, lipid level and clinical side effects related to immunosuppressive therapy. Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) was performed routinely at 3 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months after transplantation. EMB was also performed at 3 months after regimen change within 1 year post-transplantation or when rejections were suspected in patients beyond 1 year post-transplantation. Echocardiography was performed for monitoring purpose.

RESULTSThe mean follow-up after regimen change was (7.9 ± 6.3) months. Final sirolimus dose was (0.89 ± 0.22) mg/d and blood drug level was (7.6 ± 3.8)µg/L. Cyclosporine dose was reduced from (191.7 ± 60.0) mg/d to (123.6 ± 34.8) mg/d, with blood drug concentration reduced from (175.5 ± 58.0) µg/L to (111.9 ± 56.0) µg/L in 18 patients (P < 0.01). Tacrolimus average dose was reduced from 4.25 mg/d to 3.00 mg/d, with blood drug concentration reduced from 13.5 µg/L to 10.5 µg/L in 2 patients. Serum creatinine level fell from (160.4 ± 25.5) µmol/L to (134.4 ± 26.8) µmol/L (P < 0.01) and urea nitrogen fell from (13.8 ± 4.7) µmol/L to (10.4 ± 3.0) µmol/L (P < 0.01) at one month after regimen change. Twenty two EMBs were performed in 11 patients within 1 year post-transplant, there were 4 episodes of acute rejected (ISHLT grade 2). Twenty patients are all alive and cardiac function was normal. The most common side effect was hyperlipidemia, and triglycerides, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels were significantly increased at 1 month post regimen change (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Leukocyte, hemoglobin and platelet as well as liver function remained unchanged at 1 month post regimen change (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONOur results show that change from CNI-based immunosuppressive regimen to reduced-dose CNI plus sirolimus is an effective and safe approach for the management of patients with CNI-related chronic renal dysfunction, leading to an improvement in renal function without compromise in anti-rejection efficacy and with tolerable side effects.

Calcineurin Inhibitors ; Female ; Heart Transplantation ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sirolimus ; therapeutic use

Objective To compare the odds ratio of waist circumference (WC) and/or body mass index (BMI) on cardiovascular risk factors. Methods Data on a cross-sectional study involving 41 087 adults (19 567 male, 21 520 female) from the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey were examined. According to the obesity definition of the Chinese Working Group on Obesity for Children (WGOC) (BMI, 24 and 28 kg/m2; WC, male 85 cm, female 80 cm), the study population were divided into 9 groups. The prevalence and odds ratio (OR) of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were compared among these 9 groups. Variation and standard β were indexes being used to compare the likelihood of BMI and/or WC on CVD risk factors. Results Within each of the BMI categories, with few exceptions, indices levels on CVD risk factors were significantly increased (decreased for HDL-C levels) with the increase of WC, and vice versa. After adjusting the effects of age, sex, income, education, sedentary activity and dietary factors, the ORs of hypertension in adults with higher WC within each of the BMI categories were higher than adults with lower WC, and the ORs of hypertension in adults with higher BMI within each of the WC categories were higher than adults with lower BMI. Similar trends were found for high fast plasma glucose (FPG) and dyslipidemia. The variation in CVD risk factors explained only by WC and BMI were quite similar,but slightly larger when combined WC with BMI. Standard β was higher on BMI when predicting systolic BP and was higher on WC when predicting TG, TC and HDL-C. Conclusion BMI and WC were independently associated with the risk factors on CVD.To combine the BMI and WC, the results could accurately evaluate the risk of CVD, thus to provide substantive evidence that the WGOC cutoff points for the WC might help in identifying those population under increased risk.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) and apolipoprotein (Apo) E gene polymorphisms in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).

METHODSTwo hundred and fifty-five DM2 patients without angiopathy and 107 healthy individuals were selected. PCR/allele-specific oligonucleotide probe was used to determine their apoE genotypes.

RESULTSThe prevalence distribution of apoE genotypes and alleles in DM2 patients and that in controls were similar. The TC, LDL-C and Lp(a) concentrations in e4/4, e4/3 subgroups were significantly higher than those in e3/2, e2/2 subgroups (P<0.05). The average value of IMT in e4/4 e4/3 carriers (0.89 mm) was significantly greater than that in e3/2 e2/2 carriers (0.62 mm) (P<0.05). After adjustment for TC, LDL-C, TG, Lp(a), FBG, HbA1c, age, BMI, and smoking, ANCOVA showed that the average value of carotid IMT was significantly greater in subjects with e4/4 e4/3, compared with that in subjects with e3/2 e2/2(P=0.033).

CONCLUSIONApo e4 allele increases the risk for carotid artery atherosclerosis in the early stage of diabetic population.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alleles ; Analysis of Variance ; Apolipoprotein E4 ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Arteriosclerosis ; pathology ; Body Mass Index ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; pathology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; genetics ; pathology ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a) ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; blood ; Tunica Intima ; pathology ; Tunica Media ; pathology

OBJECTIVEChronic airway inflammation is associated with the polarization of TH2 cells in asthma. Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) plays an important role in the polarization of TH2 cells. This study aimed to investigate the changes of PGD2 receptors (DP1/CRTH2) on T lymphocytes and their significance in asthma.

METHODSSeventy-two children with asthma were assigned to two groups: acute attack (n=42) and remission (n=30). Thirty-five healthy children were used as the control group. Plasma levels of TH2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-5, and TH1 cytokine INF-gamma were detected using ELISA. Radiological binding assay (RBA) was used to measure the contents of DP1/CRTH2 receptors on T cells in peripheral blood (PPB).

RESULTSThe total combining contents of DP and CRTH2 on T cells in PPB in the acute attack and the remission groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.01). There was no significant difference in the DP1 content among the three groups. Serum levels of IL-4 and IL-5 significantly increased (p<0.01), in contrast, serum levels of TH1 cytokine IFN-gamma were significantly reduced in the acute attack and the remission groups compared with those in the control group (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe total combining contents of DP and CRTH2 on T cells increased, serum levels of TH2 cytokines also increased, but serum levels of TH1 cytokine decreased significantly in the acute attack and the remission phases in children with asthma. This showed that a polarization of TH2 cells occurred in children with asthma and suggested that CRTH2 antagonism may be a new target for the treatment of asthma.

Asthma ; etiology ; immunology ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Mapping ; Cytokines ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Receptors, Immunologic ; blood ; Receptors, Prostaglandin ; blood ; T-Lymphocytes ; chemistry ; Th2 Cells ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the frequency of JAK2 V617F mutation in 145 myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) patients, analyze the correlation between JAK2 V617F mutation and clinical features.

METHODSThe JAK2 V617F mutation was detected by direct DNA sequencing of PCR product and allele-specific PCR respectively. The expression of JAK2, phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT5 proteins was determined by Western blot. The clinical data of MPDs patients with or without JAK2 V617F mutation was collected and analyzed for evaluating the clinical significance of JAK2 V617F mutation.

RESULTS1) The frequency of JAK2 V617F mutation for PV, IMF, ET was 92%, 58%, 50% respectively. Compared with conventional DNA sequencing (PV 84%, IMF 44%, ET 39%, respectively), allele-specific PCR exhibited a higher sensitivity in JAK2 V617F mutation detection. 2) The expression levels of phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT5 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) were upregulated significantly in JAK2 V617F-positive patients than in JAK2 V617F negative patients. 3) Compared with the patients with no JAK2 V617F mutation, the JAK2 V 617F-positive patients' features were as follows: older age of onset, higher mean leukocyte counts, lower platelet counts and smaller spleen volume. Frequency of thrombosis events in PT, ET, IMF was 17%, 32%, 16% respectively for JAK2 V617F positive group, and 0% (PV), 16% (ET), 5% (IMF) for JAK2 V617F negative group.

CONCLUSIONSMPDs patients display higher frequency of JAK2 V617F mutation. JAK2 V617F mutation positive patients predispose to a thrombosis tendency.

Female ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mutation ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; STAT5 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVE: To detect the changes of mitochondrion DNA (mtDNA) sequence in articular chondrocytes of cartilage affected by osteoarthritis and to clarified the pathogenetic mechanism of osteoarthritis. METHODS: We analyzed the mtDNA 4,977 bp deletion mutations of articular chondrocytes in 10 patients with osteoarthritis and 3 normal cartilages using the gap-PCR amplification method. We designed a two round PCR detection method, in which total DNA was isolated from articular chondrocytes as the template of the first round PCR reaction and products from the first round were the template in the second round reaction. RESULTS: The results of the first rounds of PCR reaction showed the mtDNA 524 bp amplified products in the osteoarthritis group and in the corresponding peripheral blood samples were not detected, but the 533 bp products were detected. However,the results of the second round reaction revealed that the 524 bp zones were detected in 2 of the 10 osteoarthritis patients and the corresponding peripheral blood samples were not detected. The 533 bp products were detected in all specimens. The mtDNA 524 bp amplified products in all the normal articular chondrocytes and the corresponding peripheral white blood cells contrast were not detected in both rounds PCR. CONCLUSION This was the first study to evaluate the mtDNA 4799 bp large fragment deletion mutational accumulation between nt8,470 - nt13,447 of articular chondrocytes in osteoarthritic cartilage. Osteoarthritis may be related to mtDNA mutation of articular chondrocytes.
Adult ; Cartilage, Articular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Chondrocytes ; metabolism ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis ; genetics ; Osteoarthritis, Hip ; genetics ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA