Development and validation of the EUROFORGEN NAME (North African and Middle Eastern) ancestry panel

Inference of biogeographic origin is an important factor in clinical, population and forensic genetics. The information provided by AIMs (Ancestry Informative Markers) can allow the differentiation of major continental population groups, and several AIM panels have been developed for this purpose. However, from these major population groups, Eurasia covers a wide area between two continents that is difficult to differentiate genetically. These populations display a gradual genetic cline from West Europe to South Asia in terms of allele frequency distribution. Although differences have been reported between Europe and South Asia, Middle East populations continue to be a target of further investigations due to the lack of genetic variability, therefore hampering their genetic differentiation from neighboring populations. In the present study, a custom-built ancestry panel was developed to analyze North African and Middle Eastern populations, designated the ‘NAME’ panel. The NAME panel contains 111 SNPs that have patterns of allele frequency differentiation that can distinguish individuals originating in North Africa and the Middle East when combined with a previous set of 126 Global AIM-SNPs.     

心达康滴丸联合地尔硫卓治疗冠心病心绞痛的临床研究

目的探讨心达康滴丸联合盐酸地尔硫卓片治疗冠心病心绞痛的临床疗效。方法选择2018年7月—2019年7月在武汉市江夏区中医医院治疗的冠心病心绞痛患者94例,根据用药的差别分成对照组(47例)和治疗组(47例)。对照组口服盐酸地尔硫卓片,30mg/次,3次/d;治疗组在对照组基础上口服心达康滴丸,18粒/次,3次/d。两组患者均经4周治疗。观察两组患者临床疗效,同时比较治疗前后两组患者心绞痛发作次数和持续时间,临床症状积分、SAQ和GQOLI-74评分,血清C反应蛋白(CRP)、S100钙结合蛋白A12(S100A12)、白细胞介素-18(IL-18)、妊娠相关血清蛋白A(PAPP-A)、内皮素-1(ET-1)和肌钙蛋白I(CTnI)水平及心功能。结果治疗后,对照组和治疗组临床有效率分别为80.85%和97.87%,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组患者心绞痛发作次数及持续时间都显著改善降低(P0.05),且治疗组比对照组改善更显著(P0.05)。治疗后,两组患者SAQ积分和GQOLI-74评分均明显升高,而临床症状积分明显降低(P0.05),且治疗组这些评分明显好于对照组(P0.05)。治疗后,两组患者血清CRP、S100A12、IL-18、PAPP-A、ET-1、CTnI水平均明显降低(P0.05),且治疗组明显低于对照组(P0.05)。治疗后,两组患者左心室射血分数(LVEF)和心排血量(CO)均升高,而左室收缩末期内径(LVESD)明显降低(P0.05),且治疗组LVEF、CO和LVESD比对照组改善更明显(P0.05)。结论心达康滴丸联合盐酸地尔硫卓片治疗冠心病心绞痛可明显改善患者临床症状,改善生活质量,具有一定的临床推广应用价值。     

Inter-ictal assay of peripheral circulating inflammatory mediators in migraine patients under adjunctive cervical non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS): A proof-of-concept study

Objective

To assay peripheral inter-ictal cytokine serum levels and possible relations with non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) responsiveness in migraineurs.

Epithelial ovarian cancer risk: A review of the current genetic landscape

Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in women in the developed world, and one of the most heritable cancers. One of the most significant risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Combined risk factors can be used in models to stratify risk of EOC, and aid in decisions regarding risk-reduction strategies. Germline pathogenic variants in EOC susceptibility genes including those involved in homologous recombination and mismatch repair pathways are present in approximately 22% to 25% of EOC. These genes are associated with an estimated lifetime risk of EOC of 13% to 60% for BRCA1 variants and 10% to 25% for BRCA2 variants, with lower risks associated with remaining genes. Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) thought to explain an additional 6.4% of the familial risk of ovarian cancer, with 34 susceptibility loci identified to date. However, an unknown proportion of the genetic component of EOC risk remains unexplained. This review comprises an overview of individual genes and SNPs suspected to contribute to risk of EOC, and discusses use of a polygenic risk score to predict individual cancer risk more accurately.     

六味能消胶囊联合脂必泰胶囊治疗高脂血症的临床研究

目的探讨六味能消胶囊联合脂必泰胶囊治疗高脂血症的临床效果。方法选取2017年5月—2018年10月东营市东营区人民医院收治的64例高脂血症患者,随机分为对照组和治疗组,每组各32例。对照组口服脂必泰胶囊,1粒/次,2次/d。治疗组在对照组治疗基础上口服六味能消胶囊,1粒/次,3次/d。两组均连续治疗8周。观察两组的临床疗效,比较两组治疗前后血脂指标、血流变学指标、血小板参数及血清学指标的变化情况。结果治疗后,对照组和治疗组的总有效率分别是75.0%、96.9%,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组总胆固醇(TC)、非-HDL-C、三酰甘油(TG)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)水平均较治疗前显著降低,而高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)显著升高,同组治疗前后比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后,治疗组TC、非-HDL-C、TG、LDL-C水平低于对照组,而HDL-C高于对照组,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组血浆黏度(PV)、红细胞比容(HCT)、聚集指数(RCAI)、平均血小板体积(MPV)、血小板最大聚集率(MAR)均显著降低,而变形指数(RDI)值均显著升高,同组治疗前后比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后,PV、HCT、RCAI、MPV、MAR值均显著低于对照组,而RDI值高于对照组,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组血清C反应蛋白(CRP)、内皮素(ET)水平较治疗前均显著降低,而一氧化氮(NO)水平显著增高,同组治疗前后比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后,治疗组CRP、ET水平低于对照组,而NO水平高于对照组,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论六味能消胶囊联合脂必泰胶囊治疗高脂血症具有较好的临床疗效,综合调脂作用显著,可明显纠正患者体内血流变学异常,改善血小板功能及微炎症状态,保护血管内皮功能,具有一定的临床推广应用价值。     

Peak C-reactive protein levels do not predict 30-day mortality for bacteremia: A retrospective cohort study

IntroductionAlthough peak C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are correlated with the prognosis of some diseases, there have been no reports regarding the association between peak CRP levels and mortality in patients with bacteremia. The present study aimed to determine the association between peak CRP levels and prognosis in patients with bacteremia.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted in a single tertiary hospital and included patients with bacteremia admitted to the emergency department from November 2012 to March 2017. Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association between peak CRP levels and 30-day mortality. We also performed propensity score adjustment using potential confounding factors.ResultsOne hundred fifty-nine patients were included in the study. Peak CRP levels were significantly higher in the β-hemolytic streptococci (P = 0.001) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (P = 0.003) groups. The C-statistic of the multivariate logistic regression model for the propensity score was 0.88. For 30-day mortality, peak CRP levels >20 mg/dL did not show significance in the Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio, 0.866; 95% confidence interval, 0.489–1.537; P = 0.62). Even after propensity score adjustment, no significance was noted (hazard ratio, 0.865; 95% confidence interval, 0.399–1.876; P = 0.71).ConclusionsPeak CRP levels were not an independent predictor of mortality in patients with bacteremia in the emergency department. Clinicians should consider that patients with extremely high peak CRP levels do not necessarily have high mortality and vice versa.     

杏丁注射液对缺血性中风患者CRP的影响

我院中风专科于2003年12月～2005年12月应用杏丁注射液治疗缺血性中风，并观察其对CRP含量的影响。现将结果介绍如下：     

Influence of Genetic Variation in the C-Reactive Protein Gene on the Inflammatory Response During and After Acute Coronary Ischemia

The aim of this research was to assess whether common genetic variants within the C-reactive protein gene ( CRP ) are related to the degree of acute rise in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). While polymorphisms within CRP are associated with basal CRP levels in healthy men and women, less is known about the relationship of such genetic variants and the degree of CRP rise during and after acute ischemia. Plasma CRP is associated with increased rates of recurrent coronary events. We evaluated seven common genetic variants within CRP and assessed their relationship to the degree of rise in CRP levels immediately following an acute coronary syndrome in 1827 European American patients. Variants in the putative promoter region, −757T > C and −286C > T > A, were associated with the highest CRP elevations after ACS. Patients with two copies of the A allele of SNP −286C > T > A had median CRP values of 76.6 mg/L, compared to 11.1 mg/L in patients with no copies of the rare variant (p-value <0.0001), post ACS. The lowest CRP values were found for patients with minor alleles of the exonic 1059G > C and the 3'untranslated region 1846G > A SNPs. For example, patients homozygous for the minor allele of 1059G > C had 71% lower median CRP values than those homozygous for the major allele [3.5 vs 12.0 mg/L, p < 0.0001]. These trends persisted in the chronic stable phase after ischemia had resolved, and after adjustment for infarct size by peak creatinine kinase levels and clinical status by Killip class. Assessment of CRP genetic variants identified patients with higher and lower CRP elevation after acute coronary syndrome.     

Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on diffuse inflammatory activation of de novo atheromatous lesions: Implications for systemic inflammation

AimsLocal coronary and systemic inflammation is pronounced in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Intracoronary thermography detects local inflammation and C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation. We investigated whether or not, in patients with DM, thermal heterogeneity of culprit lesions (CLs) correlates with that of non-culprit lesions (NCLs) and with systemic inflammation.MethodsWe included DM patients who had two angiographically significant lesions and were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. We measured the temperature difference (ΔT) between the lesion and proximal vessel wall.ResultsWe included 104 (n = 208 lesions) patients: 32 (n = 64 lesions) had DM and 72 (n = 144 lesions) were non-DM (control group). ΔT was increased in DM in both CLs and NCLs (CLs: DM = 0.12 ± 0.06 °C; no DM = 0.06 ± 0.04 °C; P < 0.01 versus NCLs: DM = 0.13 ± 0.08 °C versus no DM = 0.06 ± 0.05 °C; P < 0.01). Patients with DM had similar ΔT in CLs and NCLs (P = 0.49). A linear correlation was detected between heat production in all lesions and CRP (R = 0.45; P < 0.01), which was attributed to the correlation of ΔT in lesions of patients with DM and CRP (R = 0.32; P < 0.01). In lesions of patients with low CRP, a greater rate of discrepancy was found, as 100% of lesions in patients with DM versus 66.1% of lesions of patients without DM had a high ΔT in one or both lesions (P < 0.01).ConclusionIn patients with DM, local inflammatory activation is diffuse and correlates with systemic inflammation. However, low systemic inflammatory activation does not always predict an increase in local thermal heterogeneity.