Associations between serum amino acids and incident type 2 diabetes in Chinese rural adults

Background and aimsSome amino acids (AAs) may be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study aimed to determine the associations of individual AAs with the development of T2DM in rural Chinese adults.Methods and resultsA cohort study of 1199 individuals aged 18 years or older was conducted from 2006 to 2008 in a rural community of Deqing, China, a repeated survey was done in 2015 and data linkage with the electronic health records system was performed each year for identifying new T2DM cases. A high-performance liquid chromatography approach was used to measure the baseline serum concentrations of 15 AAs. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between AAs and the risk of incident T2DM. A total of 98 new T2DM cases were identified during the follow-up of 12 years on average. Among 15 AAs, proline was associated with an increased risk of incident T2DM after adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, family history of T2DM, smoking status, alcohol use, and history of hypertension, the adjusted hazard ratio for 1-standard deviation increment was 1.20 (95% confidence interval: 1.00, 1.43). The association tended to be more marked in subjects younger than 60 years and overweight/obese subjects. Among participants without hypertension, proline and phenylalanine were associated with an increased risk of incident T2DM, while aspartic acid was associated with a decreased risk.ConclusionSerum proline was associated with the risk of incident T2DM in rural Chinese adults and might be a potential predictor.     

浅谈可持续发展的临床科研数据平台建设

医学发展离不开大量临床经验的积累和总结,优秀的临床工作平台可以保障提供足量的病例,然而临床科研所需要的规范化数据还需要遵循科研的标准从海量的临床数据信息中筛选提取。单纯依靠个人的收集往往受其能力和时间限制不能尽善尽美,并且容易形成数据孤岛,不利于平台的持续发展和科研人才的培养效率。可持续发展的临床科研数据平台是医学科研创新和人才培养的基础,文章仅以四川大学华西口腔医院唇腭裂外科科研数据平台建设为例,从实例出发,详细介绍了如何建立临床科研数据平台以及如何保证其可持续性发展,旨在抛砖引玉,为更多可持续发展的临床科研平台建设提供参考。     

Risk factors for asthma in schoolchildren in Southern Brazil

BackgroundDue to the high prevalence of recurrent wheezing in the pediatric population, it is important to be able to identify environmental risk factors that may affect the etiology of asthma in several regions.Objective: to identify possible risk factors associated with asthma in children (9–12 years old) in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.Material and MethodsA total of 1003 school-age children were selected for the cross-sectional study by applying a standardized written questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergy, and a supplementary questionnaire (ISAAC phase II) was added to address personal, family and environmental factors. Of these, 125 children were excluded because they did not accept to do the skin prick test, resulting in a sample of 878.ResultsIndependent risk factors associated with asthma were bronchiolitis before two years old [OR] = 3.11; 2.23–4.33, current rhinitis [0R] = 2.07; 1.43–3.0; sharing bedroom during the first year of life [OR] = 2.03; 1.36–3.04; atopy [OR] = 1,82; 1.26–2.50; use of paracetamol more than 12 times a year [OR] = 1.68; 1.20–2.31; use of antibiotics in the first six months of life [OR] = 1,57 1;13–2.17; maternal asthma [OR] = 1.75; 1.05–2.78, having an indoor cat during the first year of life [OR] = 1.73, 1.07–2.78; premature birth [OR] = 1.60,1.02–2.50.Conclusionour results show that genetic backgrounds, environmental factors, premature birth, use of antibiotics before six months of life, using paracetamol once per month and the presence of co-morbidities such as rhinitis are the risk factors associated with asthma in Brazilian children.