OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of serum cystatin C (CysC) levels in evaluating renal prognosis in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of IgAN patients diagnosed by renal biopsy at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from January, 2014 to December, 2018. Based on baseline serum CysC levels, the patients were divided into high serum CysC (>1.03 mg/L) group and normal serum CysC (≤1.03 mg/L) group. The composite endpoint for poor renal prognosis was defined as ≥50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Lasso regression, multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to identify the risk factors and compare renal survival rates between the two groups. Smooth curves fitting and threshold effect analysis were used to explore the relationship between serum CysC levels and the outcomes. A nomogram model was constructed and its predictive performance was evaluated using concordance index, calibration curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under curve (AUC). RESULTS: A total of 356 IgAN patients were enrolled, who were followed up for 4.65±0.93 years. The composite endpoint occurred in 74 patients. High serum CysC was identified as an independent risk factor for poor renal prognosis in IgAN (HR=2.142, 95% CI 1.222 to 3.755), and the patients with high serum CysC levels had a lower renal survival rate (Log-rank χ²=47.970, P<0.001). In patients with serum CysC below 2.12 mg/L, a higher CysC level was associated with an increased risk of poor renal prognosis (β=3.487, 95% CI: 2.561-4.413, P<0.001), while above this level, the increase of the risk was not significant (β=0.676, 95% CI: -0.642-1.995, P=0.315). The nomogram model based on serum CysC and 3 other independent risk factors demonstrated good internal validity with a concordance index of 0.873 (95% CI: 0.839-0.907) and an AUC of 0.909 (95% CI: 0.873-0.945). CONCLUSIONS Serum CysC levels are associated with renal prognosis in IgAN patients, and high serum CysC an independent risk factor for poor renal prognosis.
Humans ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/diagnosis* ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Nomograms ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the relationship between platelet distribution width(PDW)and coronary artery calcification(CAC)in overweight and obese populations.Methods Clinical and chest CT data of 10 838 subjects with overweight or obesity(body mass index[BMI]≥24 kg/m2)were retrospectively analyzed.The subjects were divided into CAC group(n=4 237)and non-CAC group(n=6 601)based on CAC scores obtained from chest CT.The relationship between PDW and CAC in overweight and obese populations was analyzed after controlling confounding variables.A threshold effect analysis was conducted using a two-stage logistic model to find the non-linear inflection point.Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to validate the stability of the relationship between PDW and CAC.Results Non-linear relationship was observed between PDW and CAC risk in overweight and obese populations.The risk of CAC decreased with the increase of PDW which ≤17.80％(OR=0.82),but increased with the increase of PDW(OR=1.04)which＞17.80％.Subgroup analysis showed that the relationship between PDW and CAC remained stable in subgroups of different genders,BMI(＜28 kg/m2,≥28 kg/m2)and hypertension(all P＞0.05).Compared with aged＜40 years or ≥60 years subgroups,under the same PDW,aged≥40 and＜60 years subgroups had higher risk of CAC(interaction P=0.015).Conclusion Nonlinear relationship existed between PDW and CAC in overweight and obese populations.Both excessively high and low PDW were risk factors of CAC.

Objective To establish a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the simultaneous determination of four carbonate compounds (CCs), including ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), vinylene carbonate (VC), and ethylene carbonate (EC) in workplace air. Methods Vapor-phase EMC, DEC, VC, and EC in workplace air were collected using activated carbon tubes. After desorption with dichloromethane, the samples were analyzed by GC-MS. Qualitative identification was performed based on retention times and characteristic ions, while quantitative analysis was conducted using peak areas of selected characteristic ions. Results The quantitative determination ranges for the four CCs were from 0.57×10⁻³ to 200.00 mg/L, with correlation coefficients ≥0.999 45. The detection limit ranged from 0.17 to 1.60 μg/L, and the lower limit of quantification ranged from 0.57 to 5.33 μg/L. The minimum detection concentration and minimum quantitation concentration were 0.11-1.07 and 0.38-3.55 μg/m³, respectively. Mean spiked recoveries ranged from 85.70% to 111.65%. The intra- and inter-batch relative standard deviations were 0.11%-2.04% and 1.27%-5.18%, respectively. Mean desorption efficiencies of the method ranged from 74.70% to 118.20%. EMC, DEC, and EC samples were stable for up to five days at 4 °C, while VC samples were stable for up to three days at 4 °C. Conclusion The GC-MS method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of the four CCs including EMC, DEC, VC, and EC in workplace air.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci near the haplotype region hg19 chr9:100560865-100660865 of the forkhead box E1 (FOXE1) gene and the occurrence of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) in western Han Chinese population. METHODS: In the first stage, our study recruited 159 NSCL/P patients and performed targeted region sequencing to screen SNPs loci near the haplotype region of the FOXE1 gene associated with NSCL/P. In the second stage, we selected 21 common SNPs and re-enrolled 1 000 non-syndromic cleft lip only (NSCLO) patients, 1 000 non-syndromic cleft palate only (NSCPO) patients, and 1 000 normal controls to verify the association. PLINK software was used to perform Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test. Association analysis for common variants, gene burden analysis for rare mutations, and function prediction of SNPs with non-synonymous mutations were performed using Mutation Taster and other software programs. RESULTS: In the first stage, 126 variants, including 76 single nucleotide variants and 50 insertion-deletions were identified. All the included SNPs confirmed to HWE, and the results of gene burden analysis and prediction of functional harmfulness for rare variants were not statistically significant. Association analysis showed that rs13292899 of the FOXE1 gene was significantly associated with NSCL/P (P=1.85E-27) and was also correlated with NSCLO (P=6.41E-23) and non-syndromic cleft lip with cleft palate (NSCLP) (P=2.36E-15) subtypes. In the validation phase, rs79268293 (P=0.013, P=0.022), rs10983951 (P=0.009 2, P=0.007 6), rs117227387 (P=0.009 2, P=0.007 6), rs3758250 (P=0.009 2, P=0.007 6), and rs116899397 (P=0.009 2, P=0.007 6) were significantly associated with NSCLO and NSCPO; rs13292899 (P=0.008 5), rs74606599 (P=0.008 3), rs143226042 (P=0.008 3), and rs117236550 (P=0.01) were associated with the occurrence of NSCLO; and rs12343182 (P=0.008 7), rs10119760 (P=0.012), rs10113907 (P=0.012), and rs13299924 (P=0.012) were associated with the occurrence of NSCPO. CONCLUSIONS This study found a new susceptible SNP rs13292899 of the FOXE1 gene that is closely associated with NSCL/P and NSCLO subtype and 13 other SNPs associated with NSCLO or NSCPO.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; China ; Cleft Lip/genetics* ; Cleft Palate/genetics* ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Haplotypes ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; East Asian People/genetics*

Objective:To explore the effect of CO2 fractional laser combined with glucocorticoid(GC)on T follicular helper cell(Tfh)and B cell subsets in patients with advanced vitiligo(VL).Methods:Patients with advanced VL(128 cases)who were treated in Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Engineering from August 2019 to March 2022 were selected as research objects,and divided into group A(64 cases,CO2 fractional laser combined with GC)and group B(64 cases,CO2 fractional laser)according to different treatment methods,clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were compared.Another healthy subjects(64 cases)were selected as control group.Collected clinical data of the three groups of subjects for comparative analysis.Randomized walking model was used to evaluate the effect of CO2 fractional laser combined with GC on immune function and inflammatory response in patients with advanced VL.Results:Compared with group B,group A had a higher clinical total effective rate(P<0.05)and a lower probability of adverse reactions(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with control group,proportion of Tfh2 and Tfh17 in group A had no significant difference(P>0.05),while proportion of Tfh2 and Tfh17 in group B still had significant difference(P<0.05);compared with group B,proportion of Tfh2 in group A after treatment was higher(P<0.05),while proportion of Tfh17 type was lower(P<0.05).After treat-ment,compared with control group,proportion of memory transformed B cell in group B was still significantly different(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with control group,levels of IgA,IgE and IgM in group B were still significantly different(P<0.05);compared with group B,level of IgM in group A was higher after treatment(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with control group,levels of IL-21 and IL-1β in group B were still significantly different(P<0.05);compared with group B,level of IL-10 in group A after treatment was higher(P<0.05),while levels of IL-21 and IL-1β were lower(P<0.05).Evaluation results of random walking model showed that the improvement of immune function and inflammatory reaction in group A was better than that in group B.Conclusion:CO2 fractional laser combined with GC can improve the immune function and inflammatory reaction of patients with advanced VL better after treatment,and the probability of adverse reactions is lower.

Objective:To explore the effect of CO2 fractional laser combined with glucocorticoid(GC)on T follicular helper cell(Tfh)and B cell subsets in patients with advanced vitiligo(VL).Methods:Patients with advanced VL(128 cases)who were treated in Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Engineering from August 2019 to March 2022 were selected as research objects,and divided into group A(64 cases,CO2 fractional laser combined with GC)and group B(64 cases,CO2 fractional laser)according to different treatment methods,clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were compared.Another healthy subjects(64 cases)were selected as control group.Collected clinical data of the three groups of subjects for comparative analysis.Randomized walking model was used to evaluate the effect of CO2 fractional laser combined with GC on immune function and inflammatory response in patients with advanced VL.Results:Compared with group B,group A had a higher clinical total effective rate(P<0.05)and a lower probability of adverse reactions(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with control group,proportion of Tfh2 and Tfh17 in group A had no significant difference(P>0.05),while proportion of Tfh2 and Tfh17 in group B still had significant difference(P<0.05);compared with group B,proportion of Tfh2 in group A after treatment was higher(P<0.05),while proportion of Tfh17 type was lower(P<0.05).After treat-ment,compared with control group,proportion of memory transformed B cell in group B was still significantly different(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with control group,levels of IgA,IgE and IgM in group B were still significantly different(P<0.05);compared with group B,level of IgM in group A was higher after treatment(P<0.05).After treatment,compared with control group,levels of IL-21 and IL-1β in group B were still significantly different(P<0.05);compared with group B,level of IL-10 in group A after treatment was higher(P<0.05),while levels of IL-21 and IL-1β were lower(P<0.05).Evaluation results of random walking model showed that the improvement of immune function and inflammatory reaction in group A was better than that in group B.Conclusion:CO2 fractional laser combined with GC can improve the immune function and inflammatory reaction of patients with advanced VL better after treatment,and the probability of adverse reactions is lower.

Objective To investigate the relationship between platelet distribution width(PDW)and coronary artery calcification(CAC)in overweight and obese populations.Methods Clinical and chest CT data of 10 838 subjects with overweight or obesity(body mass index[BMI]≥24 kg/m2)were retrospectively analyzed.The subjects were divided into CAC group(n=4 237)and non-CAC group(n=6 601)based on CAC scores obtained from chest CT.The relationship between PDW and CAC in overweight and obese populations was analyzed after controlling confounding variables.A threshold effect analysis was conducted using a two-stage logistic model to find the non-linear inflection point.Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to validate the stability of the relationship between PDW and CAC.Results Non-linear relationship was observed between PDW and CAC risk in overweight and obese populations.The risk of CAC decreased with the increase of PDW which ≤17.80％(OR=0.82),but increased with the increase of PDW(OR=1.04)which＞17.80％.Subgroup analysis showed that the relationship between PDW and CAC remained stable in subgroups of different genders,BMI(＜28 kg/m2,≥28 kg/m2)and hypertension(all P＞0.05).Compared with aged＜40 years or ≥60 years subgroups,under the same PDW,aged≥40 and＜60 years subgroups had higher risk of CAC(interaction P=0.015).Conclusion Nonlinear relationship existed between PDW and CAC in overweight and obese populations.Both excessively high and low PDW were risk factors of CAC.

Objective:To establish collection methods and laboratory testing methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of 9 typical active pharmaceutical ingredient in the workplace air.Methods:In December 2021, a mixed solution of nine analytes was prepared and then dispersed in aerosol state to simulate sampling. Glass fiber filter membrane was selected as air collector and collected active pharmaceutical ingredient in the air at a rate of 2.0 L/min for 15 minutes. Then, the obtained filter membrane samples were eluted with 25%ACN/75%MeOH. Finally, the eluent was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed with liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.Results:This method could effectively collect active pharmaceutical ingredient in the air, with an average sampling efficiency of more than 98.5%. The linear correlation coefficient r was greater than 0.9990. The lower limit of quantification for each analyte ranged from 0.6~500.0 ng/ml, and the average recovery rate ranged from 97.6%~102.5%.Conclusion:This method could simultaneously collect 9 active pharmaceutical ingredient in the workplace air, and could provide accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis in subsequent laboratory tests.

Objective:To examined the role of copper starvation in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC),along with the molecular functions and mechanisms of SLC31A1 in these cells.Methods:Initially,SLC31A1 was silenced to induce a copper starvation environment.Sub-sequently,we evaluated the effects of copper starvation on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells using the CCK-8 assay,cell scratch assay,and subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice.In addition,changes in autophagy and EZH2 expression levels in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells were detected after SLC31A1 silencing.Lactate dehydrogenase activity was assayed to determine its impact on natural killer(NK)cell cytotoxicity after SLC31A1 silencing.Results:Silencing of SLC31A1 significantly inhibited the proliferation,migration,and subcutaneous tu-mor formation ability of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.Furthermore,silencing SLC31A1 mediated EZH2 degradation and increased NK cell infiltration.Conclusions:Copper starvation can regulate the proliferation,migration,and subcutaneous tumor formation ability of oral squamous cell carcinoma and increase NK cell infiltration by modulating EZH2 expression.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between body fat distribution measured by quantitative CT (QCT) and body mass index in adults receiving physical examination.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. From January to December 2021, 3 205 adults undergoing physical examination who met the inclusion criteria and underwent chest CT and QCT examination in the health management discipline of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital were selected as the research objects. The general data were collected; and the subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, total abdominal fat area, liver fat content, abdominal obesity and fatty liver detection rate were measured by QCT. According to body mass index, the subjects were divided into normal group (18.5-<24.0 kg/m 2, 1 343 cases), overweight group (24.0-<28.0 kg/m 2, 1 427 cases) and obesity group (≥28.0 kg/m 2, 435 cases). One-way analysis of variance and χ2 test were used to compare the differences of QCT indexes among the three groups. Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between QCT indexes and body mass index. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the diagnostic effect of QCT on obesity and fatty liver. Results:Subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, total abdominal fat area, liver fat content, abdominal obesity and fatty liver detection rate in obese group were all significantly higher than those in overweight group and normal group [males, (147.60±46.44) vs (104.33±27.68), (73.46±22.65) cm 2; (297.46±54.70) vs (229.40±53.12), (159.57±49.68) cm 2; (445.06±70.24) vs (333.73±62.91), (233.02±61.87) cm 2; 11.30% (7.90%, 15.55%) vs 8.75% (6.50%, 11.70%), 6.60% (4.80%, 8.70%); 100.0% vs 96.0%, 64.0%; 92.9% vs 86.7%, 73.3%; females, (213.96±48.61) vs (155.85±35.31), (107.24±31.01) cm 2; (185.41±43.88) vs (142.48±41.75), (96.56±36.50) cm 2; (399.37±68.07) vs (298.33±56.86), (203.80±57.53) cm 2; 9.80% (6.90%, 13.30%) vs 7.30% (5.05%, 9.80%), 5.40%(3.50%, 7.20%); 96.4% vs 74.8%, 28.9%; 87.3% vs 75.6%, 56.5%], and were all positively correlated with body mass index (males, r/ rs=0.709, 0.738, 0.831, 0.402, 0.464, 0.225; females, r/ rs=0.798, 0.695, 0.841, 0.416, 0.605, 0.276) (all P<0.001). In both male and female subjects, the detection rates of obesity based on QCT were significantly higher than those based on body mass index (male, 86.9% vs 16.6%; female, 49.3% vs 8.9%), and the detection rates of fatty liver based on QCT were significantly higher than those based on ultrasound (male, 83.6% vs 57.1%; female, 65.2% vs 27.6%) (all P<0.001). ROC curve showed that when the visceral fat area of 142 cm 2 was used as the cut-off value for the diagnosis of obesity in male subjects, the sensitivity and specificity was 100% and 15.8%, respectively; and when the cut-off value of liver fat content 5.0% was used to diagnose fatty liver, the sensitivity and specificity was 88.9% and 25.1%, respectively. When the visceral fat area of 115 cm 2 was set as the cut-off value for the diagnosis of obesity in female subjects, the sensitivity and specificity was 96.4% and 55.3%, respectively; when the liver fat content of 5.0% was set as the cut-off value for the diagnosis of fatty liver, the sensitivity and specificity was 83.7% and 43.2%, respectively. Conclusions:The indexes of abdominal fat and liver fat measured by QCT in adults receiving physical examination are all positively correlated with body mass index. The effect of QCT in the diagnosis of obesity and fatty liver are both better than body mass index and ultrasound.