青中年人群微量白蛋白尿患病率与心血管疾病危险因素的关系

目的　探讨微量白蛋白尿患病率与心血管疾病危险因素的关系。方法　选择 775例 (男 32 6例 ,女 4 4 9例 )年龄 2 0～ 5 0岁的社区人群 ,测定其体重指数 (BMI)、血压、空腹血糖、血脂谱 ;收集晨尿检测尿白蛋白、尿肌酐浓度 ,并计算尿白蛋白 /尿肌酐的比率。根据有无高血糖、高血压或高三酰甘油 /低高密度脂蛋白胆固醇 (高TG/低HDL C)血症分为 4组 ,即正常组 (A组 )、1种代谢紊乱组 (B组 )、2种代谢紊乱组 (C组 )及代谢综合征组 (D组 ) ,评价微量白蛋白尿与代谢紊乱的关系。结果　①糖尿病患者微量白蛋白尿的患病率为 2 2 .2 % ,显著高于正常血糖者 (5 .2 % ,P =0 .0 0 2 ) ;高TG/低HDL C血症者微量白蛋白尿的患病率为 8.3% ,显著高于正常血脂者 (4.0 % ,P =0 .0 12 ) ;高血压患者与正常血压者的差异无显著性。②随代谢紊乱加重 ,尿白蛋白浓度显著升高 (协方差分析 ,P <0 .0 1) ,微量白蛋白尿患病率升高 (趋势分析 ,P =0 .0 0 3)。③ 4组间尿肌酐浓度、尿白蛋白 /尿肌酐的差异无显著性。结论　①糖尿病、高TG/低HDL血症人群的微量白蛋白尿的发病率显著升高。②随代谢紊乱加重 ,微量白蛋白尿患病率亦升高     

应用连锁不平衡图谱的关联研究分析方法

目的提出一种对高通量单核苷酸多态位点(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)关联研究的数据分析方法。方法在160名上海地区中国人中进行754个SNP的基因型检测,分别构建病例组和对照组的连锁不平衡(linkage disequilibrium,LD)图谱,通过比较两组间染色体区域LD图谱随物理距离的变化趋势寻找与疾病相关的位点,并与传统LD分析以及SNP单点、单倍型分析进行比较。结果LD图谱的分析能判断出两组间LD存在差异的染色体区域,并且该区域SNP等位基因频率和单倍型频率在两组间分布存在统计学差异或差异趋势。结论可应用该方法对高通量SNP的关联研究进行数据分析。     

Acute low-dose endotoxin treatment results in improved whole-body glucose homeostasis in mice

BackgroundObese individuals present with an increased inflammatory tone as compared to healthy, normal-weight individuals, which is associated with insulin resistance. One factor hypothesized to contribute to increased inflammation in obese and diabetic states is elevated blood endotoxin levels, a condition known as metabolic endotoxemia. In non-obese and insulin sensitive individuals, circulating endotoxin concentrations fluctuate over the course of the day with elevations in the post-prandial state that return to baseline levels in the post-absorptive state. Evidence suggests that high-fat feeding alters these fluctuations causing endotoxin levels to remain high throughout the day. The effects of alterations in endotoxin levels on glucose metabolism are not clearly understood.Purpose/ProceduresThe goal of this study was to determine the effects of both short-term and long-term increases in endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) of a low magnitude on the glucose tolerance and insulin signaling in a human primary cell line as well as the effects of short-term endotoxin treatments on glucose homeostasis in a C57/Bl6 mouse model. First, we tested the hypothesis that short-term low-dose endotoxin treatments would augment insulin signaling and glycogen synthesis while long-term treatments would be disruptive in the cell culture model. Second, we examined if these short-term low dose treatments of endotoxin would contribute to similar improvements in whole-body glucose homeostasis in a mouse model.Main findingsContrary to our initial hypothesis, short-term endotoxin treatment had no effect on insulin signaling or glycogen synthesis, however long-term treatment indeed decreased glycogen synthesis (P < .05). Interestingly, short-term endotoxin treatment resulted in significant improvements in glucose homeostasis in the mouse model (P < .01); which is believed to be at least partly attributed to an inhibitory action of LPS on liver glucose production.ConclusionsThis research shows that low-magnitude, short-term changes in LPS can have significant effects on whole body glucose metabolism and this likely occurs through its direct actions on the liver. Additional studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms responsible for altered glucose metabolism in response to low magnitude changes in LPS levels.     

Walk Score and Australian adults' home-based walking for transport

The relationships of Walk Score, a publicly-accessible walkability assessment tool, with walking for transport to and from home were examined among a large representative sample of Australian adults aged 18–64 years (N=16,944). Residents in highly and somewhat walkable areas were twice and 1.4 times more likely to accumulate 30 min of walking per day compared to those in very car-dependent neighborhoods, respectively. Mean duration of walking was also longer for participants living in highly and somewhat walkable areas compared to those in very car-dependent areas. Walk Score has potential as a widely-applicable tool for identifying the walkability of local neighborhoods.