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Background: Complement C1q plays a dual role in the atherosclerosis. Previous studies showed inconsistent results about the association of serum C1q levels and coronary artery disease (CAD). Here, we explored the associations of serum C1q activity with CAD, coronary stenosis severity, cardiovascular biomarkers, and 1-year restenosis after coronary artery revascularization.Methods: We enrolled 956 CAD patients and 677 controls to evaluate the associations of serum complement C1q activity to the presence and severity of obstructive CAD and non-obstructive CAD. Serum C1q activity and the concentrations of laboratory markers were measured in all subjects. All the data were analyzed using SPSS22.0 software.Results: Serum C1q activity in Obstructive CAD and Non-Obstructive CAD groups was significantly higher than the control group (195.52 ± 48.31 kU/L and 195.42 ± 51.25 kU/L vs. 183.44 ± 31.75 kU/L, P < 0.05). Greater C1q activity was significantly correlated with higher total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels. C1q activity was associated with an increased Odds Ratio (OR) of CAD (OR = 1.322, 95% CI 1.168–1.496, P < 0.05) and 1-year restenosis after revascularization (the highest OR = 3.544, 95% CI 1.089–12.702, P < 0.05). Complement C1q activity was not correlated with Gensini score in the Obstructive CAD group after adjustment for confounders. C1q activity has low value in predicting the incidence of CAD.Conclusion: Serum complement C1q activity is associated with obstructive CAD.

Background To predict the prognosis by observing the dynamic change of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) for hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods The data were collected from January to December 2017 from the first affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Demographic and clinical patient information including age, length of hospital stay and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were recorded. Blood samples were taken for CRP, PCT, and white blood cell count (WBC). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to verify each biomarker’s association with the prognosis of pneumonia. Results A total of 350 patients were enrolled in the study. The 30-day mortality was 10.86%. Serial serum CRP3, CRP5, PCT3, PCT5 and PCT5c levels were statistically lower in CAP survivors than non-survivors. CRP3c

BackgroundOxidative-stress (OS) was causal in the development of cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Streptozotocin (STZ) was an alkylation agent that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Here we aimed to explore the oxidative-stress and related RNAs in the liver of STZ-induced diabetic mice.MethodsRNA-sequencing was performed using liver tissues from STZ induced diabetic mice and controls. Pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses were utilized to annotate the target genes. The differentially expressed RNAs involved in the peroxisome pathway were validated by qRT-PCR. The glucose metabolite and OS markers were measured in the normal control (NC) and STZ-induced diabetic mellitus (DM) group.ResultsThe levels of serum Fasting insulin, HbA1c, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α(8-iso-PGF2α) were significant higher in DM groups than NC group, while SOD activity decreased significantly in DM groups. We found 416 lncRNAs and 910 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the STZ-induced diabetic mice compared to the control group. OS associated RNAs were differentially expressed in the liver of STZ-induced diabetic mice.ConclusionThis study confirmed that the OS was increased in the STZ-induced DM mice as evidenced by the increase of lipid peroxidation product MDA and 8-iso-PGF2α, identified aberrantly expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in STZ-induced diabetic mice.

Activin A is a critical regulator in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) maintenance and differentiation. Different concentrations of Activin A affect hESC maintenance and differentiation in different ways. A high concentration favors anterior primitive streak and gives rise to DE if the stimulation persists. hESCs were cultured with and without 10 ng/mL Activin A supplement respectively. The two groups of cells were differentiated into endoderm cells with 100 ng/mL Activin A and other reagents. Microarray-based DNA methylation was analyzed with the Infinium Human Methylation450 BeadChip on these two groups. There was a significant difference in endoderm differentiation efficiency (average efficiency: 71 vs. 58.5%, P

ChREBP regulates lipogenesis and glucose utilization in the liver. Current reports suggest a contradictive association between rs3812316 of this gene and triglyceride level. We hypothesized the polymorphisms in ChREBP gene were associated with CAD in Chinese population.The ChREBP gene polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods in 200 controls and 310 CAD patients. Serum lipids and glucose concentrations were measured in all subjects. Haplotypes were constructed based on rs3812316, rs7798357 and rs1051921. All the data were analyzed using SPSS14.0, PLINK1.07 and SHEsis software.The rare allele G of rs3812316 was significantly lower in the CAD group after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, SBP and DBP (OR(a)=0.589, 95%CI=0.361-0.961, P=0.034). No significant differences between cases and controls were found in genotype or allele distributions of rs7798357, rs17145750 and rs1051921. Haplotype CGC was significant higher in CAD group (P0.01, OR=2.364, 95%CI=1.608-3.474), while haplotypes GGC, CGT, CCC were significant lower in CAD group (P0.05).The rs3812316 and the haplotypes in ChREBP gene appeared to be related to high susceptibility to CAD.

GJA8 plays an important role in lens growth and transparency. Therefore, we hypothesized that two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GJA8 might be associated with age-related cataract. We investigated the SNPs rs1495960 and rs9437983 using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing, in 96 age-related cataract patients, and 208 gender- and age-matched healthy controls. No significant differences between cases and controls were seen in genotype or allele distributions of rs1495960 (P > 0.05). The allele distribution of rs9437983 was different between cases and controls, but no difference was detected in its genotype distribution. Cataract patients had a significantly lower G–G haplotype frequency (4.9% vs. 15.5%, P = 0.0001), and a significantly higher G–A haplotype frequency (45.6% vs. 36.4%, P = 0.030) than controls. Limiting to nuclear cataract cases significantly increased the differences between cases and controls for G–G and G–A haplotypes. These results support that the GJA8 gene may be a novel susceptibility gene for age-related cataracts.

Xuezhikang (XZK) is an extract of fermented red yeast rice that has lipid-lowering properties.To evaluate the effects of XZK on lipids in subjects with dyslipidemia but no coronary heart disease.A total of 116 adults with baseline non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels of approximately 208 mg/dL and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of approximately 175 mg/dL were randomized to either placebo or XZK 1200 or 2400 mg daily and treated for 12 weeks.A majority of the patients were white (53.4%) or Asian (37.1%). Daily XZK 1200 mg and 2400 mg for 4 to 12 weeks resulted in statistically significant (P .001) and clinically meaningful decreases in non-HDL-C (∼24% reduction) and LDL-C (∼27% reduction) compared with placebo. XZK treatment at either dose enabled approximately 50% of subjects to reduce their LDL-C levels by ≥ 30%. Doubling the XZK daily dose from 1200 to 2400 mg at treatment week 8 caused an additional 4.6% reduction in LDL-C. Significant benefits were also observed across secondary efficacy variables, including total cholesterol (TC), apolipoprotein B (Apo B), triglycerides, HDL-C, the TC/HDL-C ratio, and the Apo B/Apo A-I ratio, at treatment week 8 or 12. XZK was safe and well tolerated. Safety and tolerability profiles were similar across treatment groups. Most adverse events were gastrointestinal. No subject experienced myopathy or markedly elevated liver transaminases or creatine kinase.Xuezhikang significantly reduced non-HDL-C and LDL-C, and was well tolerated. Further, longer-term studies in more diverse patient populations are needed to corroborate these findings.

BACKGROUND Free fatty acids (FFAs) are reported to be related to coronary heart disease (CHD); however, some case subjects in those reports suffered from CHD and diabetes mellitus. The aim of this research was to reveal the FFAs as the independent discriminators in non-diabetic CHD patients. The association between FFA concentrations and DNA methylation of carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) was also investigated, since ChREBP acted as an important regulatory factor in the FFA synthesis. METHODS Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast from 60 controls and 68 non-diabetic patients with CHD. Plasma concentrations of glucose, cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured by standard techniques in an automatic biochemical analyzer. Plasma concentrations of nine types of FFAs were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The DNA methylation of ChREBP was detected by direct bisulfate sequencing. RESULTS In the case group, the concentrations of glucose and HDL-C decreased, while the concentrations of TC, TG, and each FFA significantly increased compared with controls (p < 0.05). By logistic regression analysis, all FFAs except C14:0 were found to be independent risk factors for CHD in non-diabetic patients. No significant differences of clinical chemistry indicators were found between the methylated and unmethylated case groups. CONCLUSIONS Plasma concentrations of FFAs are higher in non-diabetic patients with CHD and are emerging independent discriminators for CHD. High FFA concentrations are expected to play a role even in non-diabetic patients with CHD.