Search

The prognostic value of growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) in predicting long-term adverse outcomes in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients remains limited. Our study examines the association between GDF-15 and adverse outcomes over an extended period in CHD patients and firstly assesses the incremental prognostic effect of incorporating GDF-15 into the Framingham risk score (FRS)-based model. This single-center prospective cohort study included 3,321 patients with CHD categorized into 2,479 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (74.6%) and 842 non-ACS (25.4%) groups. The median age was 61.0 years (range: 53.0–70.0), and 917 (27.6%) were females. Mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) included cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and heart failure (HF) (inclusive of HF episodes requiring outpatient treatment and/or hospital admission). Cox regression models assessed the associations between GDF-15 and the incidence of all-cause mortality and MACEs. Patients were stratified into three groups based on GDF-15 levels: the first tertile group (< 1,370 ng/L), the second tertile group (1,370–2,556 ng/L), and the third tertile group (> 2,556 ng/L). The C-index, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess incremental value. Over a median 9.4-year follow-up, 759 patients (22.9%) died, and 1,291 (38.9%) experienced MACEs. The multivariate Cox model indicated that GDF-15 was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (per ln unit increase, HR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.36–1.64) and MACEs (per ln unit increase, HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.20–1.38). These associations persisted when GDF-15 was analyzed as an ordinal variable (p for trend < 0.05). Subgroup analysis of ACS and non-ACS for the components of MACEs separately showed a significant association between GDF-15 and both cardiovascular mortality and HF, but no association was observed between GDF-15 and MI /stroke in both ACS and non-ACS patients. The addition of GDF-15 to the FRS-based model enhanced the discrimination for both all-cause mortality (∆ C-index = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.005–0.014; IDI = 0.030, 95% CI: 0.015–0.047; continuous NRI = 0.631, 95% CI: 0.569–0.652) and MACEs (∆ C-index = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.006–0.012; IDI = 0.026, 95% CI: 0.009–0.042; continuous NRI = 0.593, 95% CI: 0.478–0.682). DCA suggested that incorporating GDF-15 into the FRS-based model demonstrated higher net benefits compared to FRS-based models alone (All-cause mortality: FRS-based model: area under the curve of DCA (AUDC) = 0.0903, FRS-based model + GDF-15: AUDC = 0.0908; MACEs: FRS-based model: AUDC = 0.1806, FRS-based model + GDF-15: AUDC = 0.1833). GDF-15 significantly associates with the long-term prognosis of all-cause mortality and MACEs in CHD patients and significantly improves the prognostic accuracy of the FRS-based model for both outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a human lens microRNA (miR-497-5p) in regulating epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) under the control of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). A microRNA array was used to evaluate the microRNA profiles of untreated and TGF-β-treated human lens epithelial cells in culture. This showed that TGF-β treatment led to the upregulation of 96 microRNAs and downregulation of 39 microRNAs. Thirteen microRNAs were predicted to be involved in the pathogenesis of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Meanwhile, overexpression of miR-497-5p suppressed cell proliferation and EMT 48 h post-transfection, and inhibition of miR-497-5p accelerated cell proliferation and EMT. Treatment with TGF-β inhibited the expression of miR-497-5p, but not cell proliferation. miR-497-5p was also found to regulate the level of CCNE1 and FGF7, which are reported to be actively involved in EMT. CCNE1 and FGF7 were bona fide targets of miR-497-5p. The results suggest that miR-497-5p participates in the direct regulation of lens epithelial cell EMT and is regulated by TGF-β. miR-497-5p may be a novel target for PCO therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) combined with vitrectomy for myopic foveoschisis (MF) treatment. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. We evaluated the improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR unit, the percentage of patients with improved or stabled BCVA, benefit on axial length (AL), the retinal reattachment rate, the macular hole (MH) closure rate, as well as the complication rate. Results: Fourteen studies (311 eyes) were included. Overall, patients' BCVA improved − 0.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] − 0.52, − 0.40) logMAR unit, with 80% (95%CI 74%, 85%) benefiting from BCVA improvement and 6% (95%CI 3%, 10%) suffering from BCVA loss. Patients' AL was shortened by − 1.74 (95%CI − 2.92, − 0.57) mm, and for patients whose AL was ≥ 30 mm, the average benefit reached − 3.68 (95%CI − 4.59, − 2.77) mm. Ninety-three percent (95%CI 89%, 96%) of the patients achieved retinal reattachment, and 65% (95%CI 47%, 80%) of the MH was closed. Patients' central foveal thickness decreased; the MD was − 187.32 (95%CI − 206.25, − 168.40) mm. The pooled complication rate was 9% (95%CI 8%, 19%), with extrusion, choroidal atrophy, and choroidal neovascularization being the most common complications. Subgroup analysis indicated no statistical difference in BCVA improvement, AL change, retinal reattachment rate, and complication rate between patients with or without MH. Subgroup analysis indicated no statistical difference in the above four outcomes between the primary and the recurrent patients either. There was no statistical difference in the above four outcomes no matter ILM peeling was combined or not. Conclusion: PSR combined with vitrectomy helps improve 80% MF patients' BCVA; the average benefit on BCVA is − 0.46 logMAR unit. The average change in AL is − 1.74 mm; patients with AL ≥ 30 mm benefit much more than the patients with AL < 30 mm. The retinal reattachment rate is up to 93%; the MH closure rate is 65%. About 9% patients will suffer from extrusion, choroidal atrophy, choroidal neovascularization, and other complications. The outcomes were not influenced by presence of MH, disease recurrence, or ILM peeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the clinical phenotypes of a girl with oculo-facio-cardio-dental (OFCD) syndrome and to identify the potential pathogenic mutation responsible for her disease. The patient underwent detailed clinical examinations and phenotype data were collected over a follow-up period of 9 years. Mutation analysis of the candidate gene BCOR was performed with polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. BCOR of 60 unrelated normal individuals were also sequenced as a control group. Clinical phenotyping and follow-up study results indicate that this patient had multiple system anomalies including ocular, facial, cardiac, dental, and limb malformations. In addition, papilloma of the choroid plexus was identified, which represents the first report of this phenotype in an OFCD patient. A novel deletion mutation, c.1296delT in exon 4 of the BCOR gene, was identified in this patient and was not found in her parents or in 60 normal unrelated individuals. This deletion was a frameshift mutation and is proposed to encode a premature stop codon, thus producing a truncated protein. Our patient fitted the diagnostic criteria for OFCD syndrome and we report the first papilloma of the choroid plexus in an OFCD patient, expanding the recognized phenotypic spectrum of this disease. Meanwhile, we identified a novel deletion mutation that may cause OFCD syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Administration of a loading dose of a statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor) prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) contributes to protection from myocardial ischemic-reperfusion injury. This trial was designed to investigate the effect and mechanism of loading-dose rosuvastatin therapy before PCI in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: One hundred and forty-three patients with acute coronary syndrome were randomized to either the loading-dose (rosuvastatin 40 mg given 4 h before PCI) or conventional-dose (rosuvastatin 10 mg given 4 h before PCI) group. Blood samples were collected before and 0, 24, and 72 h post-PCI for measurement of serum cardiac troponin-I (cTn I), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Echocardiography and the major adverse cardiac/cerebrovascular events (MACCE) rate were followed up for 6 months post-PCI. Results: Blood serum CK-MB and cTn I were significantly lower in the loading-dose group than in the conventional-dose group at 24 and 72 h post-PCI [CK-MB: 26.90 ± 3.22 vs. 32.96 ± 2.65 IU/L, P = 0.024; 10.79 ± 4.65 vs. 15.18 ± 5.39 IU/L, P = 0.021. cTn I: 0.046 ± 0.007 vs. 0.055 ± 0.002 ng/mL, P = 0.015; 0.027 ± 0.006 vs. 0.041 ± 0.006 ng/mL, P = 0.026]. Echocardiography at 6 months after PCI revealed significant improvement in cardiac function in the loading-dose group compared with the conventional-dose group ( P < 0.05). The MACCE rate at 6 months after PCI in the loading-dose group was lower than in the conventional-dose group ( P = 0.0428). The levels of MDA and ROS were decreased and the SOD level was significantly higher in the loading-dose group than in the conventional-dose group at 0, 24, and 72 h post-PCI ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Administration of loading-dose rosuvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome prior to PCI exerts myocardial protection by inhibition of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impact caused by local people (ecological footprint of consumption, EFc) and the actual environmental impact that the ecosystem burdens (ecological footprint of production, EFp) in West Jilin Province, Northeast China from 1986 to 2006 were evaluated by using ecological footprint (EF) method. And the major driving forces of EFc and EFp were analyzed by STIRPAT model. Both EFc and EFp showed increasing trends in 1986-2006, accompanied by decreasing ecological deficits but expanding ecological overshoots. Population ( P), GDP per capita ( A), quadratic term of GDP per capita ( A), urbanization ( T), and quadratic term of urbanization ( T) were important influencing factors of EFc, among which T and T were the most dominate driving forces of EFc. A, A and T were important influencing factors of EFp, among which A and A were the most dominate driving forces of EFp. In 1986-2006, the classical Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis did not exist between A and EF (both EFc and EFp), but did between T and EF. The results indicate that enhancing the urbanization process and diversifying economic sources is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of West Jilin Province. Moreover, importance should be attached to improve the eco-efficiency of resource exploitation and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide (NO) and methane (CH) emissions were measured using a static chamber method in two adjacent plots of freshwater marsh predominated by Calamagrostis angustifolia, one is seasonal waterlogged (SW) and the other without surface water accumulation (NW), in Sanjiang Plain wetland (47°35'N, 133°31'E), northeast China, during 2002-2004. The diurnal and seasonal flux variations of both gases were significantly correlated with 5-cm-soil temperature. The NW marsh is a source of NO and sink of CH, while the SW marsh is sink of NO and source of CH. Remarkably, we observed a NO emission peak under Eh of −300 to −100 mV, and CH emission peak under Eh of +300 to +400 mV, which indicate additional sources of NO and CH for the freeze-thaw induced emission peaks of NO and CH observed between late July and early August. Further study shows that the additional NO and CH were emitted under the frozen soil after thawing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The west Jilin Province is a typical area in the ecotone between agriculture and animal husbandry, with a frangible eco-environment. With respect to the three aspects of water resource, natural disasters and land degradation, 10 indices were selected to establish a matter-element model for the assessment of eco-environmental frangibility in the west Jilin Province. The results indicate that during 1985-2000, Qian’an, Fuyu, and Changling had the least frangibility (level I), followed by Da’an and Qianguo (level II), and Taobei, Zhenlai, Taonan, and Tongyu had the highest frangibility (level III). On the whole, the counties in Songyuan city were less frangible than those in Baicheng city. Different counties had different frangibilities to environmental factors, e.g., Da’an and Tongyu were frangible in water resource conditions; Taobei, Zhenlai, Taonan, Tongyu and Qian’an suffered most from natural disasters; while Taobei, Taonan and Qianguo were threatened by severe land degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report N2O emission results for freshwater marshes isolated from human activities at the Sanjiang Experimental Station of Marsh Wetland Ecology in northeastern China. These results are important for us to understand N2O emission in natural processes in undisturbed freshwater marsh. Two adjacent plots of Deyeuxia angustifolia freshwater marsh with different water regimes, i.e., seasonally waterlogged (SW) and not- waterlogged (NW), were chosen for gas sampling, and soil and biomass studies. Emissions of N2O from NW plots were obviously higher than from the SW plots. Daily maximum N2O flux was observed at 13 o′clock and the seasonal maximum occurred in end July to early August. The annual average N2O emissions from the NW marsh were 4.45 μg m−2 h−1 in 2002 and 6.85 μg m−2 h−1 in 2003 during growing season. The SW marsh was overall a sink for N2O with corresponding annual emissions of −1.00 μg m−2 h−1 for 2002 and −0.76 μg m−2 h−1 for 2003. There were significant correlations between N2O fluxes and temperatures of both air and 5-cm-depth soil. The range of soil redox potential 200–400 mV appeared to be optimum for N2O flux. Besides temperature and plant biomass, the freeze–thaw process is also an important factor for N2O emission burst. Our results show that the freshwater marsh isolated from human activity in northeastern China is not a major source of N2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calamagrostis angustifolia is the dominant species in the typical meadow and marsh meadow communities of Sanjiang Plain. The study on its biomass, the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents in its different organs showed that the biomass of different C. angustifolia organs in the two types of wetland communities was distinctly different, which could be described by polynomial. The biomass of aboveground part and each organ presented single peak changing, with the maximum value of the latter occurred 15 days after. The F/C values were all less than 1, which were bigger in typical meadow than those in marsh meadow. The total N and P contents in different organs of aboveground part all descended monotonically in growth season, with the order of leaf>vagina>stem. The change of total N content in roots of the two types of C. angustifolia was consistent, while that of total P was quite different. The content of total N, ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3 −-N), especially of NH4 +-N and NO3 −-N, varied widely in different organs, with NH4 +-N/NO3 −-N>1. Root was the important storage of N and P, but the storage of N and P in stem, leaf and vagina fluctuated greatly. The N/P ratios of the two types of C. angustifolia were all less than 14, which implied that N might be the limiting nutrient of C. angustifolia, and the limitation degree was higher in typical meadow than that in marsh meadow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotoxicity and bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) to the maize ( Zea mays L.) and the soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) were investigated by acute toxicity experiment in the laboratory with black soil. Ecotoxicity and bioavailability of Cd were quantified by calculating the median effective concentration ( EC 50) and bioaccumulation factor ( BAF). The measurement endpoints used were seed germination and seedling growth (shoot and root). The results showed that concentrations of Cd in the soil had adverse effect on the growth of roots and shoots. Seed germination was not the sensitive indicator for the ecotoxicity of Cd in the soil, while the growth of roots was the most sensitive measurement endpoint. Absorbability and transport of Cd in plants depended on the test crop species and Cd concentrations in the soil. The maize retains more Cd in its roots, while the soybean transports more Cd to the shoots from roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]