Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and muscle strength, physical performance in the elderly. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hangu district of Tianjin from April to June in 2013. Totally 1 131 subjects aged 60 years or older completed the survey. Every subject filled out a standard questionnaire and underwent grip strength test, timed up and go test (TUGT). Serum CRP concentrations were determined using chemiluminescent immunoassay kits. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the relationship between CRP and muscle strength, physical performance. Results After adjustment for potential confounding factors including age, BMI, smoking status, drinking status, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anemia, cancer and physical activity, the multiple linear regression analysis suggested that CRP levels were inversely related to handgrip strength (β'=-0.11, P<0.01), and the logistic regression analysis showed that compared with subjects in the lowest quintile, the odds ratios and 95%confidence interval of higher quintile of CRP were 1.09 (0.50, 2.39) and 2.70 (1.34, 5.66) (Ptrend<0.05) in males. However, the relationship between CRP and muscle strength, physical performance was not statistically significant in females. Conclusions In males, higher serum CRP levels were independently correlated with lower muscle strength and poor physical performance in older adults. These results suggested that inflammation-signaling pathways may play an important role in the progression of sarcopenia.

Lysophosphatidylcholines belong to a group of lipid components which have a variety of physiological functions. LPCs are known to be linked to metabolic disorders and cardio-vascular diseases,including diabetes,atherosclerosis and dyslip-idemia.LPCs are actively metabolized in liver,which is closely related with liver diseases and hepatotoxicity.The role of LPCs in liver diseases and hepatotoxicities has been extensively investi-gated recently.This review focuses on lysophosphatidylcholines as a biomarker for liver diseases,such as hepatic carcinoma, cholestasis,cirrhosis,hepatitis,and chemical hepatotoxicities, trying to lay a basis for investigation and therapeutics of liver dis-eases.

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Objective To assess the therapeutic effect of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on osteoporotic fracture healing .Methods Bone marrow of the rat bilateral femur and tibia bone tissue were collected ,and BMSCs were isolated by the whole bone marrow adherence method .Sixty female 11‐week‐old SD rats were ovariectomized (OVX) to induce osteoporosis followed by bilateral fracture generation .Twenty rats were left without giving any further treatment (OVX controls) ,20 received injection of saline (OVX+placebo control) and 20 were given injection of BMSCs (OVX+BMSCs) .X‐ray scan was performed at 3‐day ,4‐week and 8‐week post‐fracture ,respectively .Results Flow cytometry analysis revealed that the isolated BMSCs express sur‐face antigens similar to those reported previously .X‐ray results showed that compared with OVX and OVX+placebo groups ,BM‐SCs treatment markedly accelerated fracture healing of in osteoporotic rats .Conclusion Transplantation of BMSCs can effectively improve the healing of primary osteoporotic fracture .

AIM To investigate the effects of safflower yellow on myocardial injury in patients with severe sepsis.METHODS Using prospective research methods,ninety-two patients with severe sepsis treated in our hospital from Jan.2013 to Mar.2016 were divided equally into two groups:control group (routine treatment) and observation group (routine treatment + safflower yellow).In addition,6 and 72 hours after the treatment,heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP),creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) of patients were detected,and the changes of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were observed;length of ICU stay,cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and 28-day survival also were recorded at the same time.RESULTS In admission,there were no differences in the levels of H-FABP,CK,CK-MB and LVEF,SOFA scores between the two groups.After 6 hours treatment,the levels of H-FABP,CK,CK-MB and SOFA score in the observation group were lower than those in the control group;the two groups had higher levels of H-FABP,CK and CK-MB than those before the treatment,SOFA score was lower than that before the treatment;After 72 hours treatment,H-FABP,CK,CK-MB and SOFA score were lower than those after 6 hours treatment;SOFA score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group;there were no differences in H-FABP,CK and CK-MB between the two groups.The observation group had a lower cumulative incidence of MACE than the control group.There was no statistical difference in LVEF and length of ICU stay after the treatment between the two groups.The observation group had a higher 28-day survival than the control group,the difference was statistically significant (76.08％,35/46 vs 54.35％,25/46;x2 =4.529,P =0.033).The level of serum H-FABP in severe sepsis patients was negatively correlated with LVEF (r =-0.270,P =0.009).CONCLUSION Therapeutic effects of safflower yellow on myocardial injury in patients with severe sepsis is superior to routine treatment with the improvement of the prognosis of patients to a certain extent.

Objective Through the research and analysis of guangdong medical college affiliated hospital orthopaedic hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of osteoporosis in Zhanjiang,this paper provide theoretical basis for the prevention of osteoporosis frac-ture.Methods The elderly aged over 40 years old,living in this area for a long time.Data was collected from August 2012 to Feb-ruary 2014,hospitalized patients in guangdong medical college affiliated hospital were diagnosed with osteoporosis.Contents include general situation survey,medical examination,venous blood tests and bone mineral density testing.Results Fracture group average age is older than the non fracture group;the fracture group lumbar spine bone mineral density(LSBMD)and femoral neck bone min-eral density(FNBMD)T value and Z value and serum calcium group is greater than the fracture and the differences were statistically significant(P <0.05).Fracture group in gender divided into two groups for comparison,in which women older than men,and the difference was statistically significant(P <0.05),male LSBMD T and Z values and FNBMD T value is greater than the female and the difference was statistically significant(P <0.05).According to the 10 year age group,Each age group compared with the frac-ture number and non fracture number,in the age group of 70-80 fracture number were the most;All age groups in LSBMD,FNB-MD,serum calcium(Ca)and VitD compared,non fracture group is most higher than that of fracture group.The influence factors of the fractures for non conditional Logistic regression analysis,age,LSBMD,FNBMD T value increased were risk factors for fracture, VitD,FNBMD,LSBMD T value increased were protective factors of fracture.Conclusion Need as soon as possible to prevent osteo-porosis,especially before the age of 40,try to improve the peak bone density,to prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis in the future.

Objective Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple and reliable inflammation biomarker but few studies have assessed the relationship between NLR and hypertension in Chinese population. In order to evaluate how NLR is related to the incidence of hypertension, we designed a large scale prospective cohort study in an adult population. Method Participants were recruited from Tianjin Medical University's General Hospital?Health Management Centre. Hypertension?free subjects (men, 13 638;women,15 212) were followed up for a median of 2.7 years. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess relationships between the quintiles of NLR and the incidence of hypertension. Result During the follow-up period, 1 348 subjects in men and 476 subjects in women developed hypertension. The hazard ratios of hypertension incidence were evaluated in increasing NLR quintiles both in men and women. In the final multivariate models, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for hypertension across NLR quintiles were 1.00 (Reference), 1.05 (0.87, 1.26), 1.02 (0.85, 1.22), 1.07 (0.90, 1.29) and 1.22 (1.03, 1.45) (P for trend=0.01), in men;1.00 (Reference), 1.11 (0.82, 1.49), 0.79 (0.58, 1.08), 1.13 (0.85, 1.52) and 1.25 (0.94, 1.66) (P for trend=0.07), in women, respectively. Conclusion This study showed that the elevated NLR levels were significantly related to an increased risk of developing hypertension in men, but not in women.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) has been nowadays recognized as a major agent causing postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in pigs worldwide. PMWS most commonly affects the weaned piglets, being of increasing importance to the pig industry in Korea. Seven commercial farms affected with PMWS and 2 farms free from PMWS, located in the southern part of Gyeonggi province, were selected for this study. The peripheral mononuclear cells were tested for the presence of ORF2 gene by PCR, and 54 (68.4%) of 79 samples were positive. All of 9 herds tested included the positive cases. The positive rates by herds were 50 to 100% in the PMWS-affected herds and 40 to 62.5% in the PMWS-free herd. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of ORF2 gene of 6 strains were characterized. Homologies among 6 strains revealed 92.1 to 100% in the nucleotide and 92.3 to 100% in the amino acid. The overall ranges of homologies for 25 strains comprised 2 Korean and 23 foreign strains were 91.1 to 100% in the nucleotide and 89.7 to 100% in the amino acid. Three regions of greater heterogeneity were found in immunorelevant epitopes of the capsid protein, and the sequences between 57 to 80 aa revealed higher mutation than other areas. In the phylogenetic tree analysis, KOR 71 strain was clustered together with Korean strains previously isolated in Korea. The remaining 5 strains were closely clustered with other European and Asian strains. The results will be valuable for improving our understanding of the molecular epidemiology of PCV-2 in Korea and development of preventive measures for PMWS.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Capsid Proteins ; Circovirus* ; Epitopes ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea* ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Population Characteristics ; Swine* ; Wasting Syndrome

OBJECTIVESTo identify a NFB responsive element within the dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 gene (DDAH) promoter and demonstrate its role in DDAH2 transactivation.

METHODSDDAH2 promoter was analyzed with software to identify potential binding sites of transcription factors. A series of truncated DDAH2 promoter luciferase reporter plasmids were constructed and transfected into human embryonic kidney derived HEK293 cells. Luciferase assays were carried out to analyze the activity of the promoter. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were used to identify the NFB responsive element in vitro and in vivo. DDAH2 promoter luciferase reporter plasmid with mutated NFB site was constructed and transfected into cells, and its activity was compared with that of the wild-type plasmid.

RESULTSPotential bindings sites of many transcription factors were found within the DDAH2 promoter. The transcription activity of the DDAH2 promoter was high, and -530 to -437 was a positive regulating region. -476 to -469 of the DDAH2 promoter was a NFB responsive element, to which NFB can specifically bind. Mutation of the NFB element could significantly decrease the DDAH2 promoter activity.

CONCLUSION-476 to -469 of the DDAH2 promoter was a NFB responsive element and is important for the transactivation of DDAH2.

Amidohydrolases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Base Sequence ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Protein Binding ; Response Elements

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects one-third of the world’s population, has been reported to hijack host cell apoptotic machinery and promote either an anti- or proapoptotic program depending on the parasite virulence and load and the host cell type. However, little is known about the regulation of human FHs 74 small intestinal epithelial cell viability in response to T. gondii infection. Here we show that T. gondii RH strain tachyzoite infection or ESP treatment of FHs 74 Int cells induced apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress in host cells. Pretreatment with 4-PBA inhibited the expression or activation of key molecules involved in ER stress. In addition, both T. gondii and ESP challenge-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death were dramatically suppressed in 4-PBA pretreated cells. Our study indicates that T. gondii infection induced ER stress in FHs 74 Int cells, which induced mitochondrial dysfunction followed by apoptosis. This may constitute a potential molecular mechanism responsible for the foodborne parasitic disease caused by T. gondii.