V-shaped relationship between HbA1c and all-cause mortality in the elderly with type 2 diabetes

PurposeThe optimal glycemic target for elderly patients with diabetes has not been established. The purpose of this study was to elucidate relationship between HbA1c and mortality in elderly patients with diabetes.SubjectsThree hundred consecutive elderly (≥ 65 yrs) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for control of hyperglycemia between 2002 and 2010 were registered. Upon mortality survey at the end of 2012, 201 (70%) of them were traceable (men/women 121/80, mean age 71 yrs, duration of diabetes 11 yrs and HbA1c 9.9%). The analysis took account of the following baseline information: gender, age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, eGFR, urinary albumin excretion, serum lipid levels and use of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents. The follow-up HbA1c was also recorded.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 5.7 yrs and 45 of the patients have died. The mortality hazard as a function of the baseline HbA1c quartile was significantly V-shaped with the nadir in quartile 2 (HbA1c 8.5–9.4%) (P = 0.02), and this relationship remained significant after adjustment for the confounders such as estimated glomerular filtration rate and insulin use. The follow-up HbA1c was 7.7 ± 1.6% and not significantly related to mortality.Discussion/ConclusionThere was a V-shaped relationship between baseline HbA1c and all-cause mortality in elderly patients with insufficiently controlled glycemia. The nadir was in Q2 in which the HbA1c value was 8.5–9.4%. No significant relationship was found between the follow-up HbA1c and mortality. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between HbA1c and mortality in the elderly.     

早期结直肠癌患者疾病获益感现状及其影响因素分析

背景　在生理-心理-社会医学模式下,心理因素在癌症康复中的作用受到了医生、患者的广泛关注。作为积极心理学重要领域之一,疾病获益感（BF）在癌症类型上多以乳腺癌及多癌种混合研究为主,而结直肠癌相关研究较少。目的　评估我国早期结直肠癌患者BF现状并分析其影响因素。方法　本研究为横断面研究。采取便利抽样方法,选取2014年3月-2016年6月在江阴市人民医院和南通市肿瘤医院进行住院治疗的326例早期结直肠癌患者参与问卷调查。调查方法为问卷调查,问卷内容包括：一般资料调查问卷、中文版疾病获益感量表（评估BF情况）、与医生沟通和交流问卷（评估与医生沟通和交流情况）、医院焦虑抑郁量表（评估焦虑和抑郁情绪）、生活定向测验修订版（评估乐观程度）和医学应对方式问卷（评定对疾病的应对特点,包括面对、回避和屈服）。应用多因素Logistic回归分析探讨BF的影响因素。结果　根据中文版疾病获益感量表评分将早期结直肠癌患者分为BF低水平组31例（9.5%,评分<66分）,中/高水平组295例（90.5%,评分≥66分）。BF低水平组接受手术+化疗治疗方案比例及与医生沟通和交流问卷评分、乐观程度、医学应对方式中面对得分低于BF中/高水平组,BF低水平组发生并发症比例及医院焦虑抑郁量表评分、医学应对方式中屈服得分高于BF中/高水平组,两组运动锻炼频次比较,差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。Logistic回归分析结果表明,接受手术+化疗治疗方案〔OR=3.294,95%CI（1.239,8.759）〕、无并发症〔OR=5.867,95%CI（1.868,19.041）〕、乐观〔OR=1.569,95%CI（1.169,2.106）〕、医疗应对方式-面对〔OR=1.477,95%CI（1.267,1.721）〕是早期结直肠癌患者BF水平的影响因素（P<0.05）。结论　南通市和江阴市地区早期结直肠癌患者BF处于中/高水平。医疗应对方式中面对、乐观、接受手术+化疗治疗方案、无并发症是早期结直肠癌患者BF的重要影响因素,临床医护工作者可结合相关因素跨学科、多平台的制定及实施干预方案,切实提高早期结直肠癌患者BF水平。     

隐丹参酮上调GRP78抑制谷氨酸诱导的PC12细胞凋亡

目的：探讨隐丹参酮(Cryptotanshinone, CTS)对谷氨酸(glutamate, Glu)诱导的神经元凋亡的影响及潜在的作用机制。方法：取生长状态良好的PC12细胞,用1 μmol/L Glu处理,Western Blot检测细胞中凋亡相关蛋白Bax、Bcl2的表达水平;以CTS(5 μmol/L或10 μmol/L)预处理PC12细胞12 h后,再用Glu刺激12 h,采用TUNEL染色分析CTS对Glu诱导PC12细胞凋亡的影响;Western Blot检测CTS预处理前后Glu刺激的PC12细胞中糖蛋白调节78(78 ku glucose-regulated protein, GRP78)的蛋白表达水平,并通过sh-RNA干扰细胞内GRP78表达,观察细胞活力的变化。结果：Glu可诱导PC12细胞凋亡,抑制胞内GRP78的表达;经CTS预处理后Glu诱导的神经元凋亡现象得到缓解,GRP78表达增加;干扰PC12细胞内GRP78表达后,可逆转CTS的抗凋亡作用。结论：CTS可通过上调GRP78的表达从而保护PC12细胞抵抗Glu诱导的细胞凋亡。     

Clear Cell Tumor of the Lung: A Retrospective Analysis

BackgroundThere have been no clinical reports on clear cell tumor of the lung (CCTL) based on large studies or epidemiological surveys in the literature. The purpose of this study was to provide a retrospective analysis of CCTL patients in China by reviewing the clinical data of reported CCTL cases.MethodsThe China academic journals full-text database search engines were used to collect the related cases from January 1979 to June 2011. The analysis was performed on patients' age, gender, symptom, nodular number, tumor size, lesion localization, chest radiograph or chest computed tomography.ResultsThirtynine cases of CCTL were reported in China. The ratio of male:female was 1.29:1. The average age at diagnosis was 43 ± 17 years. Most of them were accidentally discovered on routine chest roentgenogram or computed tomography. The ratio of asymptomatic:symptomatic was 2.25:1 (27:12). Cough, fever, sputum, dyspnea and chest pain occurred frequently in symptomatic patients. Solitary pulmonary nodule on chest radiography was found in 38 patients, and no specific lobar distribution had been noted. The average tumor size was 3.6 ± 2.4 cm in diameter. All patients were diagnosed after thoracotomy, and the postoperative courses were all uneventful.ConclusionsCCTL is a rare benign tumor with special features of clinical characteristics, radiology and pathology. The diagnosis is based on distinct pathological characteristics. Earlier operation with long-term follow-up is recommended.     

Dynamic expression of hepatic GP73 mRNA and protein and circulating GP73 during hepatocytes malignant transformation

BackgroundHepatic Golgi protein-73 (GP73) expression is related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic expression of GP73 mRNA and protein during hepatocytes malignant transformation.MethodsHuman GP73 expressions in 88 HCC tissues and their self-control surrounding tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry, and survival time of HCC patients was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. HCC model of Sprague-Dawley rats was made by diet containing 2-fluorenylacetamide. The rats were divided into the control, hepatocyte degeneration, precanceration, and HCC groups to observe GP73 protein and mRNA alterations during hepatocytes malignant transformation.ResultsThe GP73 expression was significantly higher in the cancerous tissues than that in the surrounding tissues, with shorter survival time, and the positive rates of GP73 protein in human HCC tissues were 53.3% at stage I, 84.0% at stage II, 84.6% at stage III, and 60.0% at stage IV, respectively. The positive rates of hepatic GP73 protein and mRNA in the rat models were none in the control group, 66.7% and 44.4% in the hepatocytes degeneration group, 88.9% and 77.8% in the hepatocytes precanceration group, and 100% in the HCC group, respectively. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.91, P<0.01) between hepatic GP73 and serum GP73 during rat hepatocytes malignant transformation.ConclusionsAbnormal GP73 expression may be a sensitive and valuable biomarker in hepatocarcinogensis.     

Clustering of cardiovascular risk factors and stroke: a prospective cohort study in Inner Mongolia

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of clustering of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) on stroke incidence and find some high predictive clusters among Inner Mongolians in China.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 2589 participants aged 20 and older from Inner Mongolia, China. The participants were divided into four groups according to the number of CVRFs and followed up from June 2002 to July 2012. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the clustering of CVRFs on the incidence of stroke. Area under curve was used to compare the effect of every cluster on stroke and find those having higher predictive value.

Results: A total of 124 stroke occurred during the follow-up period. The incident stroke cases tended to be older and male; had higher prevalence of smoking, drinking, and family history of cardiovascular diseases (FHCVD); had greater waist circumference, higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and C-reactive protein levels at baseline compared with those who did not experience stroke. Unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval) of stroke in the participants with at least three CVRFs was 5.230 (2.646–10.336), compared with those without CVRF. After multiple adjustments, the result remained statistically significant (HR, 3.388; 95% confidence interval: 1.678–6.840). On the basis of FHCVD, clustering of hypertension with other CVRFs and clustering of diabetes with tachycardia had higher predictive value than other clustering.

Conclusion: The clustering of CVRFs increased the risk of stroke. On the basis of FHCVD, the clustering of hypertension with other CVRFs and the clustering of diabetes with tachycardia had higher predictive value for stroke than other cluster.     

Post-stroke cognitive impairment and the risk of stroke recurrence and death in patients with insulin resistance

ObjectivePost-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is associated with etiology, severity, and functional outcome of stroke. The risks of recurrent stroke and death in patients with PSCI and insulin resistance (IR) is unknown. The goal of this study was to determine whether global and domain-specific cognitive impairment after stroke in patients with IR was associated with recurrent stroke and death.Materials and MethodsWe studied patients with recent stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and IR with a baseline Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) cognitive exam at median of 79 days after stroke. We considered a baseline score of ≤ 88 on the 3MS to indicate global cognitive impairment, and domain-specific summary scores in the lowest quartile to indicate language, attention, orientation, memory and visuospatial impairments. The primary endpoint was fatal or non-fatal recurrent stroke, and the secondary endpoints were all-cause mortality, and fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI).ResultsAmong studied n = 3,338 patients 13.6% had global cognitive impairment. During the median 4.96 years of follow-up, 7.4% patients experienced recurrent stroke, 3.5% MI, and 7.3% died. In the fully adjusted model, impairment in language (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.01—1.81) and orientation (HR 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06—1.87) were associated with a higher risk of recurrent stroke, while attention impairment was associated with all-cause mortality (HR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.01—1.78).Discussion/ConclusionIn patients with recent stroke/TIA and IR, post-stroke language and orientation impairments independently predicted recurrent stroke, while attention deficit was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality.     

Use of cyproheptadine hydrochloride (HCl) to reduce neuromuscular hypertonicity in stroke survivors: A Randomized Trial: Reducing Hypertonicity in Stroke

ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to examine how the administration and dosing of the anti-serotonergic medication cyproheptadine hydrochloride (HCl) affects involuntary muscle hypertonicity of the spastic and paretic hands of stroke survivors.Materials and MethodsA randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled longitudinal intervention study was performed as a component of a larger clinical trial. 94 stroke survivors with chronic, severe hand impairment, rated as levels 2 or 3 on the Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment Stage of Hand (CMSA-H), were block randomized to groups receiving doses of cyproheptadine HCl or matched doses of placebo. Doses were increased from 4 mg BID to 8 mg TID over 3 weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after each of the three weeks of intervention. Primary outcome measure was grip termination time; other measures included muscle strength, spasticity, coactivation of the long finger flexors, and recording of potential adverse effects such as sleepiness and depression.Results89 participants (receiving cyproheptadine HCl: 44, receiving placebo: 45) completed the study. The Cyproheptadine group displayed significant reduction in grip termination time, in comparison with the Placebo group (p<0.05). Significant change in the Cyproheptadine group (45% time reduction) was observed after only one week at the 4mg BID dosage. The effect was pronounced for those participants in the Cyproheptadine group with more severe hand impairment (CMSA-H level 2) at baseline. Conversely, no significant effect of Group * Session interaction was observed for spasticity (p=0.6) or coactivation (p=0.53). There were no significant changes in strength (p=0.234) or depression (p=0.441) during the trial.ConclusionsUse of cyproheptadine HCl was associated with a significant reduction in relaxation time of finger flexor muscles, without adversely affecting voluntary strength, although spasticity and coactivation were unchanged. Decreasing the duration of involuntary flexor activity can facilitate object release and repeated prehensile task performance.RegistrationClinical Trial number: NCT02418949