Background/Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction. Among the multiple factors, genetic variation acts as important modifiers. Klotho, an enzyme encoded by the klotho (KL) gene in human, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunctions. However, the impact of variants in KL on NAFLD risk remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of KL rs495392 C>A polymorphism on the histological severity of NAFLD. Methods: We evaluated the impact of the KL rs495392 polymorphism on liver histology in 531 Chinese with NAFLD and replicated that in the population-based Rotterdam Study cohort. The interactions between the rs495392, vitamin D, and patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism were also analyzed. Results: Carriage of the rs495392 A allele had a protective effect on steatosis severity (odds ratio [OR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42–0.89; P=0.010) in Chinese patients. After adjustment for potential confounders, the A allele remained significant with a protective effect (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45–0.98; P=0.040). The effect on hepatic steatosis was confirmed in the Rotterdam Study cohort. Additional analysis showed the association between serum vitamin D levels and NAFLD specifically in rs495392 A allele carriers, but not in non-carriers. Moreover, we found that the rs495392 A allele attenuated the detrimental impact of PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele on the risk of severe hepatic steatosis. Conclusions The KL rs495392 polymorphism has a protective effect against hepatic steatosis in patients with NAFLD.

Purpose: Mortality rates following hip fracture surgery have been well-studied. This study was conducted to examine mortality rates in asymptomatic patients presenting for treatment of acute hip fractures with concurrent positive COVID-19(+) tests compared to those with negative COVID-19(–) tests. Materials and Methods: A total of 149 consecutive patients undergoing hip fracture surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic at two academic medical centers were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups for comparative analysis: one group included asymptomatic patients with COVID-19+ tests versus COVID-19– tests. The primary outcome was mortality at 30-days and 90-days. Results: COVID-19+ patients had a higher mortality rate than COVID-19– patients at 30-days (26.7% vs 6.0%, P=0.005) and 90-days (41.7% vs 17.2%, P=0.046) and trended towards an increased length of hospital stay (10.1 ±6.2 vs 6.8±3.8 days, P=0.06). COVID-19+ patients had more pre-existing respiratory disease (46.7% vs 11.2%,P=0.0002). Results of a Cox regression analysis showed an increased risk of mortality at 30-days and 90-days from COVID-19+ status alone without an increased risk of death in patients with pre-existing chronic respiratory disease. Conclusion Factors including time to surgery, age, preexisting comorbidities, and postoperative ambulatory status have been proven to affect mortality and complications in hip fracture patients; however, a positive COVID-19 test result adds another variable to this process. Implementation of protocols that will promote prompt orthogeriatric assessments, expedite patient transfer, limit operating room traffic, and optimize anesthesia time can preserve the standard of care in this unique patient population.

INTRODUCTION: Endovenous cyanoacrylate glue (CAG) ablation for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins has shown non-inferior outcomes with an excellent safety profile, high patient satisfaction rate, and excellent efficacy when compared to the gold standard of endothermal ablation. A review of the current literature for CAG use in CVI showed that most studies and longer-term data are from Caucasian-based populations, which are subject to different anatomical venous variations and socio-economical contexts. This review aimed to gather the current evidence for CAG use in Asian CVI patients. METHODS: Asian studies for the use of CAG in CVI were included in this review. Successful ablation rates, quality of life improvement and novel complications such as glue hypersensitivity reactions are described, along with anatomical descriptions of superficial venous anatomy in study patients. Use of CAG in Singapore and Asia was addressed. RESULTS: CAG has been gaining traction as an option for CVI treatment in Asians. In Singapore, it has been adopted with comparable low complication rates and significant improvement of quality of life after treatment. As we increase our understanding of the variations in venous anatomy in the Asian population, new techniques such as retrograde deployment of the device and use of CAG ablation for venous leg ulcers have been developed. CONCLUSION Further robust evidence in terms of large randomised control trials along with cost effectiveness studies are needed to determine the true value of CAG ablation in the Asian setting.

Objective To understand the prevalence of HIV infection and its influencing factors in the premarital physical examination population in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, 2017. Methods The data of people receiving premarital medical examination was collected, the demographic characteristics was described and the related factors was analyzed by Logistic regression. Results There were 21 875 participants receiving premarital medical examination in Dehong. 98(0.45%) participants were confirmed positive for HIV and male infection rate was 0.47% (52/10 955) and female was 0.42% (46/10 920). Among the 98 patients, 20 patients were infected in the first time, and main route was sexual transmission accounting for 81.63% (80/98). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that age, ethnicity and drug use were the influencing factors for premarital couples infecting HIV. The risk of HIV infection in 31-40 and 41-50 years old group was higher than the people under 25 years old group(OR=3.78, 95% CI：1.81-7.89, P<0.001；OR=3.95, 95% CI：1.72-9.08, P=0.001). The infection risk of Dai and Jingpo ethnic group was higher than that of the Han ethnic(OR=1.86, 95% CI：1.06-3.29, P=0.031；OR=3.25, 95% CI：1.81-5.84, P<0.001). The risk of infection among drug users was much higher than non-drug users (OR=926.76, 95% CI：271.65-3 161.71, P<0.001). Conclusion Age, ethnicity, and drug use are influencing factors of HIV infection among premarital couples. Targeted measures need to be taken against risk factors. HIV infection is mainly transmitted by sexual transmission. It can be effectively detected and controlled through premarital medical examination.

Objective: From the economic point of view, this study was to systematically assess the status quo on lung cancer screening in the world and to provide reference for further research and implementation of the programs, in China. Methods: PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library,CNKI and Wanfang Data were searched to gather papers on studies related to economic evaluation regarding lung cancer screening worldwide, from the inception of studies to June 30(th), 2018. Basic characteristics, methods and main results were extracted. Quality of studies was assessed. Cost were converted to Chinese Yuan under the exchange rates from the World Bank. The ratio of incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to local GDP per capita were calculated. Results: A total of 23 studies (only 1 randomized controlled trial) were included and the overall quality was accepted. 22 studies were from the developed countries. Nearly half of the studies (11 studies) took 55 years old as the starting age of the screening program. Smoking history was widely applied for the selection of criteria on target populations (18). Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) was involved in every study used to evaluate the economic effectiveness. Annual (17) and once-life time (7) screening were more common frequencies. 22 studies reported ICERs for LDCT screening, compared to no screening, of which 17 were less than 3 times local GDP per capita, and were considered as cost-effectiveness, according to the WHO's recommendation. 15 and 7 studies reported ICERs for annual and once-life time screening, of which 12 and 7 studies were in favor the results of their cost-effectiveness, respectively. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness of once-lifetime screening was likely to be superior to the annual screening. Differences of cost-effectiveness among the subgroups, by starting age or by the smoking history, might exist. Conclusions: Based on the studies, evidence from the developed countries demonstrated that LDCT screening programs on lung cancer, implemented among populations selected by age and smoking history, generally appeared more cost-effective. Combined with the local situation of health resource, the findings could provide direction for less developed regions/countries lacking of local evidence. Low frequency of LDCT screening for lung cancer could be adopted when budget was limited. Data on starting ages, smoking history and other important components related to the strategy of screening programs, needs to be precisely evaluated under the situation of local population.
China ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Early Detection of Cancer/methods* ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Middle Aged ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of China Savin pollen extract which was used for skin prick test (SPT) in the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy. Patients with diagnosis of allergic diseases were collected from Allergy Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. All patients were given SPT with China Savin pollen extract, and the mean wheal diameter (MWD) was measured after 15 minutes. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed based on the results of serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE). The effectiveness of SPT in the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy was evaluated under different diagnostic cutoff values. Adverse events were also recorded to evaluate the safety. A total of 1 029 patients were enrolled in this study without drop out case. There were 1 007 patients in full analysis set (FAS) and 765 patients in per protocol analysis set (PPS). The elimination rate was 25.66%. The area under the ROC curve of FAS is 0.814 (95%: 0.788-0.839); which of PPS is 0.829 (95%: 0.801-0.857). Based on the ROC curve of PPS, the optimal and the 95% specificity diagnostic cutoff values of MWD were 3.25 mm and 4.75 mm respectively. Based on different diagnostic cutoff value (3.00, 3.25 and 4.75 mm), the sensitivities of SPT with China Savin pollen extract were 0.740 0 (95%: 0.701 6-0.778 4), 0.700 (95%: 0.659 8-0.740 2) and 0.532 (95%: 0.488 3-0.575 7) respectively, whereas the specificity was gradually increased in sequence, which was 0.769 8 (95%: 0.719 1-0.820 5), 0.826 4 (95%: 0.780 8-0.872 0) and 0.950 9 (95%: 0.924 9-0.976 9) respectively. There were 7 adverse events observed among 6 patients (rate: 0.583%, 6/1 029). The manifestation was mild. There was no severe adverse event. SPT with China Savin pollen extract is an effective and safe tool for the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy. The effectiveness of diagnosis could be improved based on integration of medical history and different diagnostic threshold values of SPT.
Allergens ; adverse effects ; China ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Pollen ; adverse effects ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; diagnosis ; Skin Tests

Family-based cohort study is a special type of study design, in which biological samples and environmental exposure information of the member in a family are collected and related follow up is conducted. Family-based cohort study can be applied to explore the effect of genetic factors, environmental factors, gene-gene interaction, and gene-environment interaction in the etiology of complex diseases. This paper summarizes the objectives, methods and results, as well as the opportunities and challenges of the family-based cohort study on common chronic non-communicable diseases in rural population in northern China.
China/epidemiology* ; Chronic Disease/ethnology* ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Noncommunicable Diseases/ethnology* ; Research Design ; Rural Population

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis. Innate immunity plays an important role in the response to M. tuberculosis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important pattern recognition receptors in innate immunity. TLRs serve as switches that play decisive roles in identifying pathogens-related components. Previous studies found that TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR9 were essential to promote the development of innate immune responses. The SNPs of rs4833095, rs5743618, rs3923647 of TLR1, rs57473708, rs3804099 of TLR2 and rs352139, rs5743836 of TLR9 were closely related to the susceptibility of tuberculosis in some populations. And there appeared certain relationship between the polymorphisms of TLR3, TLR6, TLR7, TLR8, TLR10 and the susceptibility of tuberculosis. The normal function of TLRs ensures the body's normal immune response to M. tuberculosis. The diversity of TLRs genes allows different individuals to respond differently to the same pathogen. Studies targeting on the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism in TLRs and susceptibility to tuberculosis can predict the susceptibility to tuberculosis in some populations, as well as discover new drugs targets.
Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Research/trends* ; Signal Transduction/immunology* ; Toll-Like Receptors/genetics* ; Tuberculosis/immunology*

Objective: To understand the molecular characteristics of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) as well as the disease risk of influenza virus A H7N9 in Guizhou province. Methods: RNAs were extracted and sequenced from HA and NA genes of H7N9 virus strains obtained from 18 cases of human infection with H7N9 virus and 6 environmental swabs in Guizhou province during 2014-2017. Then the variation and the genetic evolution of the virus were analyzed by using a series of bioinformatics software package. Results: Homology analysis of HA and NA genes revealed that 2 strains detected during 2014-2015 shared 98.8%-99.2% and 99.2% similarities with vaccine strains A/Shanghai/2/2013 and A/Anhui/1/2013 recommended by WHO, respectively. Two strains detected in 2016 and 14 strains detected in 2017 shared 98.2%-99.3% and 97.6%-98.8% similarities with vaccine strain A/Hunan/02650/2016, respectively. Other 6 stains detected in 2017 shared 99.1%-99.4% and 98.9%-99.3% similarities with strain A/Guangdong/17SF003/2016, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the strains were directly evolved in the Yangtze River Delta evolution branch, but they were derived from different small branch. PEVPKRKRTAR↓GLF was found in 6 of 24 strains cleavage site sequences of HA protein, indicating the characteristic of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. Mutations A134V, G186V and Q226L at the receptor binding sites were found in the HA. All the strains had a stalk deletion of 5 amino acid residue "QISNT" in NA protein, and drug resistance mutation R294K occurred in strain A/Guizhou-Danzhai/18980/2017. In addition, potential glycosylation motifs mutations NCS42NCT were found in the NA of 9 of 24 strains. Conclusions: HA and NA genes of avian influenza A (H7N9) virus showed genetic divergence in Guizhou province during 2014-2017. The mutations of key sites might enhance the virulence of the virus, human beings are more susceptible to it. Hence, the risk of infection is increasing.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Birds ; China/epidemiology* ; Genome, Viral ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus/immunology* ; Hemagglutinins/genetics* ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype/isolation & purification* ; Influenza in Birds ; Influenza, Human/virology* ; Neuraminidase/genetics* ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Viral/genetics* ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Objective: To understand the seasonal distribution of patient hospitalization due to asthma exacerbation in 7 geographic areas in China. Methods: This was a retrospective study which involved patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation in 29 hospitals throughout 7 geographic areas in the mainland of China (northeast, north, central, east, south, northwest and southwest). The numbers of asthmatic patients and total inpatients of the respiratory department of each hospital were recorded. The monthly ratio of asthmatic patients to the total inpatients in every area was calculated and compared. Results: During the study period, 6 480 patients were admitted for asthma exacerbation, accounting for 3.14% of all the 206 135 patients admitted to the respiratory departments in the 29 hospitals. The ratio of asthmatic patients to total inpatients in the northeast area (5.61%) was highest, and the ratio in east area was lowest (1.97%). Statistical analysis showed that the difference among different areas was significant (P<0.000 1). In most areas, both the number and proportion of hospitalized asthmatic patients peaked in spring (February-April) and autumn (September-October). In the northeast area, east area and south area, the peaks in spring were more obvious, while in the north area and southwest area, the peaks in autumn were more obvious. In the northwest area the peaks occurred in winter (December-January) and summer (June-August), respectively. The differences in hospitalization due to asthma among different months were significant in the northeast, north, and southwest areas (P<0.005). Conclusion: The number of patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation fluctuated with season in different areas in China. In most areas, more asthmatic patients were admitted to hospitals in spring and autumn.
Asthma ; China/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons