Identification of biomarkers for essential hypertension based on metabolomics

AimEssential hypertension (EH) is one of the most important public health problems worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of EH is unclear and early diagnostic methods are lacking. Metabolomics demonstrates great potential for biomarker discovery and the mechanistic exploration of metabolic diseases.Data synthesisThis review included human and animal metabolomics studies related to EH in the PubMed and Web of Science databases between February 1996 and May 2020. The study designs, EH standards, and reported metabolic biomarkers were systematically examined and compared. The pathway analysis was conducted through the online software MetaboAnalyst 4.0.Twenty-two human studies and fifteen animal studies were included in this systematic review. There were many frequently reported biomarkers with consistent trends (e.g., pyruvate, lactic acid, valine, and tryptophan) in human and animal studies, and thus had potential as biomarkers of EH. In addition, several shared metabolic pathways, including alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and arginine biosynthesis, were identified in human and animal metabolomics studies. These biomarkers and pathways, closely related to insulin resistance, the inflammatory state, and impaired nitric oxide production, were demonstrated to contribute to EH development.ConclusionsThis study summarized valuable metabolic biomarkers and pathways that could offer opportunities for the early diagnosis or prediction of EH and the discovery of the metabolic mechanisms of EH.     

Vitamin D,folate, and potential early lifecycle environmental origin of significant adult phenotypes

Background and objectives: Vitamin D and folate are highly UV sensitive, and critical for maintaining health throughout the lifecycle. This study examines whether solar irradiance during the first trimester of pregnancy influences vitamin D receptor (VDR) and nuclear folate gene variant occurrence, and whether affected genes influence late-life biochemical/clinical phenotypes.Methodology: 228 subjects were examined for periconceptional exposure to solar irradiance, variation in vitamin D/folate genes (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)), dietary intake (food frequency questionnaire (FFQ)) and important adult biochemical/clinical phenotypes.Results: Periconceptional solar irradiance was associated with VDR-BsmI (P = 0.0008^wk7), TaqI (P = 0.0014^wk7) and EcoRV (P = 0.0030^wk6) variant occurrence between post-conceptional weeks 6–8, a period when ossification begins. Similar effects were detected for other VDR gene polymorphisms. Periconceptional solar irradiance was also associated with 19 bp del-DHFR (P = 0.0025^wk6), and to a lesser extent C1420T-SHMT (P = 0.0249^wk6), a folate-critical time during embryogenesis. These same genes were associated with several late-life phenotypes: VDR-BsmI, TaqI and ApaI determined the relationship between dietary vitamin D and both insulin (P < 0.0001/BB, 0.0007/tt and 0.0173/AA, respectively) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.0290/Bb, 0.0299/Tt and 0.0412/AA, respectively), making them important early and late in the lifecycle. While these and other phenotype associations were found for the VDR variants, folate polymorphism associations in later-life were limited to C1420T-SHMT (P = 0.0037 and 0.0297 for fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels, respectively). We additionally report nutrient–gene relationships with body mass index, thiol/folate metabolome, cognition, depression and hypertension. Furthermore, photoperiod at conception influenced occurrence of VDR-Tru9I and 2R3R-TS genotypes (P = 0.0120 and 0.0360, respectively).Conclusions and implications: Findings identify environmental and nutritional agents that may interact to modify gene–phenotype relationships across the lifecycle, offering new insight into human ecology. This includes factors related to both disease aetiology and the evolution of skin pigmentation.     

北京市某社区3～6年级小学生视力不良影响因素分析

目的了解北京市某社区3～6年级小学生的视力状况及其影响因素,为学生视力不良的防治提供科学依据。方法采用问卷调查方式对北京市某社区内4所小学3～6年级的所有学生进行视力状况及其影响因素的调查,共获有效问卷722份。采用χ2检验和Logistic回归进行视力不良单因素和多因素分析。结果女生（55.7%）发生视力不良的危险性是男生（44.8%）的1.51倍、父母一方有近视、父母双方均近视的学生发生视力不良的危险性是父母视力正常的1.98和2.17倍;看书距离〈30 cm的学生发生视力不良的危险性是看书距离≥30 cm的1.89倍;每天使用电脑时间0.5～1 h的学生发生视力不良的危险性是使用电脑时间〈0.5 h的2.23倍;每周活动60 min不足5 d的学生发生视力不良的危险性是每周活动5 d及以上的1.49倍;偶尔感觉视物模糊和经常感觉视物模糊者视力不良的危险度分别是未感觉视物模糊者的1.92和4.74倍。结论视力不良的发生与遗传和环境因素有关。及早预防,注意用眼卫生,养成良好的视觉行为习惯,锻炼身体增强体质将有助于保护青少年视力。