Association between environmental tobacco smoke before and during pregnancy and the risk of adverse birth outcomes: a birth cohort study in Wuhan, China

Associations between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and the risk of adverse birth outcomes may be confounded. We aimed to clarify the associations of ETS before and during pregnancy with the risk of adverse birth outcomes and determine whether the associations were modified by key potential confounders. A total of 7147 non-smoking mothers from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort (TMCHC) in Wuhan, China, were included in the final analyses. ETS status was self-reported by pregnant women at their first antenatal care visit before 16 gestational weeks. Information on birth outcomes was extracted from delivery records. Poisson regression was used to identify the association between ETS before and during pregnancy and the risk of adverse birth outcomes. Exposures to ETS before and during pregnancy were reported by 645 (9.0%) and 464 (6.5%) mothers, respectively. Compared with no ETS, continued ETS during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (PTB) (RR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.25) after adjustment for potential confounders. The association remained consistent in medically indicated PTB and late PTB. The risk of PTB associated with continued ETS during pregnancy was significantly increased in mothers more educated (P for interaction < 0.05). However, the increased risk of low birth weight (LBW) or small for gestational age (SGA) births by ETS during pregnancy was not observed. Exposure to ETS during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of PTB, but not LBW or SGA births in a Chinese birth cohort.

Periconceptional iron supplementation and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective cohort study

AIMS

Iron supplementation has been recommended for healthy pregnancy, but concerns have been raised regarding the potential adverse effects. We sought to examine the impact of periconceptional iron supplement use on subsequent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk.

METHODS

Participants (N = 5101) with information on periconceptional micronutrient supplementation and diagnosis of GDM were involved. Information on iron supplementation and general characteristics were collected at enrollment and follow-up visits. GDM was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) conducted at 24-28 weeks of gestation. Robust Poisson regression model was used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the effect of iron supplement use on GDM.

RESULTS

10.5% of the participants were diagnosed with GDM and the incidence was significantly higher in users with iron >30 mg/d for more than 3 months (Iron >30-L) than in nonusers. Adjusted RRs (95% CI) were 1.53 (1.21, 1.93) in Iron >30-L group, 1.14 (0.80, 1.61) in users with iron >30 mg/d for<3 months (Iron > 30-S) and 1.15 (0.86, 1.54) in users with iron ≤30 mg/d for any duration (Iron ≤30) respectively, compared to nonusers. This link in Iron >30-L group was even stronger (adjusted RR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.25, 2.31) when restricting the analysis among primiparous and iron-replete participants without family history of diabetes. There were no significant differences in birth outcomes among groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Periconceptional iron supplementation >30 mg/d for long-term was associated with increased GDM risk. The need and safety of prophylactic iron supplement in iron-replete pregnant women should be reconsidered.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and infancy increased the risk of upper respiratory tract infections in infants: A birth cohort study in Wuhan, China

We aimed to evaluate the association of the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during pregnancy and infancy with the risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in infants based on a Chinese birth cohort study. Among 4178 infants who constituted the final study population, 46.8% experienced URTI in their first year of life. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the risk of URTI were assessed using Cox regression models. Compared with no ETS during pregnancy, continued ETS during pregnancy was independently associated with a higher risk of URTI (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.63) after adjustment for potential confounders and also associated with earlier occurrence of URTI (log-rank P = .002). The association remained consistent across the strata defined according to maternal age, number of siblings, sex, and breastfeeding. Exposure to ETS during infancy was associated with URTI only among infants who were breastfed for less than 12 months (P for interaction < 0.05).Furthermore, infants exposed to ETS during both pregnancy and infancy showed the highest HR of 1.46 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.85) for URTI. Efforts should be made to protect pregnant women and infants from the adverse effects of indoor and outdoor ETS.

Adaptability of winter wheat Dongnongdongmai 1 (Triticum aestivum L.) to overwintering in alpine regions

Long winters led to a one-crop-a-year cultivation system until the winter wheat Dongnongdongmai 1 (Dn1) was successfully cultivated in northeast China. This crop variety is resistant to extremely low temperatures (-35 °C). To better understand the adaptability of winter wheat Dn1 to low temperatures, gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) and metabolomics analysis was conducted on the tillering nodes of winter wheat during the overwintering period. Enzyme-regulating genes of the metabolic products were also quantitatively analysed. The metabolomic results for the tillering nodes in the overwintering period showed that disaccharides had a strong protective effect on winter wheat Dn1. Amino acid metabolism (i.e. proline, alanine and GABA) changed significantly throughout the whole wintering process, whereas organic fatty acid metabolism changed significantly only in the late stage of overwintering. This result indicates that the metabolites used by winter wheat Dn1 differ in different overwintering stages. The relationship between field temperature and metabolite changes in winter wheat Dn1 during overwintering periods is discussed, and disaccharides were identified as the osmotic stress regulators for winter wheat Dn1 during the overwintering process, as well as maintenance of the carbon and nitrogen balance by monosaccharides, amino acids and lipids for cold resistance.

TNFAIP8 regulates cisplatin resistance through TAF-Iα and promotes malignant progression of esophageal cancer

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have demonstrated that TNFAIP8 is a cancer-promoting gene. However, the role of TNFAIP8 in esophageal cancer (ECa) has not been reported. The aim of this investigation was to investigate the expression of TNFAIP8 in ECa, and to further explore whether it could regulate cisplatin resistance to this cancer via modulating TAF-Iα expression and promote malignant progression of ECa.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real Time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to examine the expression of TNFAIP8 in 47 tumor tissue specimens and adjacent ones of ECa patients, and the interplay between TNFAIP8 expression and prognosis of patients with ECa was then analyzed. Further, qRT-PCR was applied to verify TNFAIP8 level in ECa cell lines. In addition, the TNFAIP8 knockdown model was constructed in ECa cisplatin-resistant cell lines including EC-109/DDP and OE19/DDP, and then, CCK8 and transwell assays were performed to analyze the impact of TNFAIP8 on the biological function of ECa cells; meanwhile, the Luciferase reporter gene assay and cell reverse experiments were finally conducted to explore its underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

The qRT-PCR results revealed that the TNFAIP8 level in tumor tissue samples of ECa patients was remarkably higher than that in adjacent ones, and the difference was statistically significant. Similarly, the overall survival rate of patients with high expression of TNFAIP8 was lower when compared with patients with low expression of TNFAIP8. EC-109/DDP and OE19/DDP, the ECa cisplatin-resistant cell lines, were successfully constructed; subsequently, it was found that the proliferation, invasiveness, and metastasis ability of ECa cells in TNFAIP8 knockdown group was remarkably decreased compared with those in the sh-NC group. At the same time, the Western blot results illustrated that the expression of TAF-Iαwas remarkably elevated in the TNFAIP8 knockdown group. In addition, the Luciferase reporting assay and cell reverse experiments also demonstrated that there existed a mutual regulation effect between TNFAIP8 and TAF-Iα, which might together affect the malignant progression of ECa.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of TNFAIP8 was found remarkably enhanced in ECa tissues and cell lines, which might be closely relevant to the poor prognosis of patients with ECa. Additionally, it was found that TNFAIP8 may regulate cisplatin resistance and promote malignant progression of ECa by modulating TAF-Iα expression.

MiR-424 suppressed viability and invasion by targeting to the DCLK1 in neuroblastoma

OBJECTIVE

Neuroblastoma is the most frequent tumor of sympathetic nervous system in infants. MiRNAs acted as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in the process of tumor development. We aim at exploring the functions of miRNA in neuroblastoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Cell viability and invasion were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays. Western blot was utilized to assess the protein expression associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to calculate the mRNA levels of miRNA and gene.

RESULTS

MiR-424 was downregulated while doublecortin like kinase 1 (DCLK1) was upregulated in neuroblastoma tissues and cells compared to adjacent non-tumor and normal spongiocyte cells. MiR-424 suppressed cell viability, invasion, and EMT by targeting DCLK1. MiR-424 regulated the expression of DCLK1 by directly binding to the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of DCLK1 mRNA in SK-N-SH and Be2C cells. DCLK1 reversed partial functions of miR-424 in neuroblastoma.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-424 suppressed cell viability, invasion, and EMT by directly targeting the 3'-UTR of DCLK1 mRNA. The newly identified miR-424/DCLK1 axis provides novel insights into the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma.

[Metabolism and transport pathway of prostaglandin E2 and its role in liver regeneration]

The liver is an organ with regenerative capacity and is essential for maintaining the body homeostasis. Under pathological conditions, such as chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and so on, the impairment of liver regeneration can lead to insufficient liver function or even liver failure. Therefore, promoting liver regeneration can improve the patient's prognosis. Prostaglandin E2 is a hormone-like messenger with physiological activity that can promote tissue regeneration. This article reviews the metabolism and transport pathways of prostaglandin E2 and its mechanism of action in liver tissue regeneration, and proposes that prostaglandin E2 is an important cytokine involved in the liver regeneration process, and has potential clinical application prospects for the treatment of liver injury.

Gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain predicts fetal growth and neonatal outcomes

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are salient predictors of pregnancy-outcomes. However, findings on the association between GDM, BMI, and GWG with fetal growth measures are limited.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of GDM on fetal growth measures and birth outcomes.

METHODS

All participants came from Tongji Maternal and Child health cohort, in which pregnant women were enrolled before 16 weeks of gestation and had their weights measured regularly during antenatal visits. GDM was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during 24-28 weeks of gestation. Ultrasound measurements of fetal bi-parietal diameters (BPD), head circumferences (HC), abdominal circumferences (AC) and femur length (FL) before birth were collected and neonate outcomes were obtained from the hospital records. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression to assess the association of GDM, pre-pregnancy BMI, and GWG with fetal growth measures of ultrasound and birth outcomes, while controlling confounding.

RESULTS

Of 3253 singleton pregnant women, 293 (9.0%) were diagnosed with GDM, 357 (11.0%) were overweight before pregnancy, and 1995 (61.3%) had excessive GWG. GDM was associated with decreased intrauterine fetal growth measurements including BPD and AC. Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight was associated with increased fetal HC and neonatal birth weight and length, women gained excessive GWG had increased fetal growth measurements of BPD, HC, AC, FL, neonatal birth weight and length. Offspring of GDM women had increased odds of cesarean section 1.31 (1.03, 1.66) and preterm birth 2.02 (1.05, 3.91) in unadjusted models, but these associations disappeared after adjustment. Compared with neonate born to mothers with normal pre-pregnancy weight, those born to underweight mother had higher risk of SGA, and lower risk of cesarean section, LGA and macrosamia, whereas those born to overweight mother had increased risk of cesarean section, LGA and macrosamia. Compared with neonate born to mothers of adequate GWG, neonate of women with excessive GWG had elevated risk of cesarean section, LGA and macrosamia, but lower risk of preterm birth and SGA.

CONCLUSION

Pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG and GDM all associated with fetal growth and birth outcomes. The effect of GDM decreased after adjusting pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG. Early screening and management of GDM, preventing excessive GWG could help protect fetuses of GDM mothers from adverse birth outcomes.

Association between dietary inflammatory index and gestational diabetes mellitus risk in a prospective birth cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Information is limited regarding the possible relationship between diet-related inflammation and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study investigated the association between the inflammatory potential of the diet, measured by the dietary inflammatory index (DII), and GDM risk in pregnant Chinese women.

METHODS

This study included 2639 eligible women from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and was used to calculate the DII score. The DII was then validated using C-reactive protein measurements in a subsample of 133 pregnant women. GDM diagnoses were collected from medical records based on the results of a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test at 24 to 28 wk gestation. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for GDM risk by DII score, modeled continuously and in tertiles.

RESULTS

Of the 2639 participants, 13.1% were diagnosed with GDM. DII scores ranged from -4.45 to 3.15 and were positively associated with C-reactive protein (adjusted β : 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16, 2.40; P trend = 0.023) when comparing DII tertile 3 (most pro-inflammatory) to tertile 1 (most anti-inflammatory). A significant and positive association was observed between DII scores and GDM risk (adjusted OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.95; P trend = 0.022) comparing the highest versus lowest tertiles. The stratified analysis showed that this association was stronger in pregnant women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy (adjusted OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.03, 4.69).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that a higher DII score, corresponding to a more proinflammatory diet, is associated with a higher risk of GDM, particularly in pregnant women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy.

Effects of astragalus polysaccharide on intestinal inflammatory damage in goslings infected with gosling plague

1. This study explored the effects of Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharide (APS) on intestinal inflammatory damage of goslings infected with parvovirus ('gosling plague').2. A total of 90 healthy goslings were randomly divided into three groups; control, infected or APS treated, respectively. Goslings in the infection and APS treatment groups were inoculated with 0.3 ml allantoic fluid containing goose parvovirus (ELD₅₀ = 1 × 10³/0.3 ml) by intramuscular injection and the control group were injected with saline (0.3 ml) twice a day for 15 days.3. Blood serum and the jejunum were collected at 5, 10 and 15 days after the start of the experiment to detect the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, levels of MDA, sIgA, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, LITAF, NF-κB, COX-2 and PGE2, pathological damage in the jejunum and serum IgG, IgM, C3, C4, IFN-γ levels.4. After APS treatment, SOD and GSH-Px activities increased, MDA content decreased; sIgA, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α protein content, and IL-1β, IL-6, LITAF, NF-κB, COX-2 and PGE2 mRNA expression decreased in the jejunal tissue, serum IgG, IgM, C3, C4, IFN-γ significantly increased and pathological damage of jejunum significantly improved.5. In conclusion, APS reduced intestinal inflammatory damage in goslings infected with parvovirus by improving the immune and antioxidant functions of goslings.

[The expanding needs on lipid-lowering treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome by applying newly issued definition of extreme high-risk by Chinese Society of Cardiology]

Objective: To assess the expanding needs on lipid-lowering treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) by applying newly issued definition of extreme high-risk, which is proposed by Chinese expert consensus on lipid management of extreme high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) patients of Chinese Society of Cardiology (CSC). Methods: Data of this study was derived from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC) project, which was a case-based nationwide registry study and launched as a collaborative initiative by the American Heart Association and the CSC. The project consecutively recruited ACS patients from158 tertiary hospitals and 82 second hospitals across China, and detailed clinical information of patients was collected. This study enrolled ACS inpatients in CCC project from November 2014 to July 2019. The proportion of extreme high-risk patients, their characteristics, mean LDL-C levels at admission, the gap between measured LDL-C level and the new target, and lipid-lowering therapy at discharge were assessed. Results: Among 104 516 ACS inpatients enrolled in this study, 75.1% (78 527/104 516) met the criteria of extreme high-risk and were expected to achieve the new LDL-C goal. Among patients at extreme high-risk, 21.2% (16 651/78 527) had multiple severe ASCVD events and 78.8% (61 876/78 527) had 1 severe ASCVD event and at least two high-risk factors. For the extreme high-risk patients, the mean level of LDL-C at admission was (2.8±1.0) mmol/L, prevalence of LDL-C ≥1.4 mmol/L was 93.4% (73 307/78 527) and the median gap between LDL-C level at admission and the target of 1.4 mmol/L was 1.3 (0.8, 2.0) mmol/L. If LDL-C could be further reduced to 50% of the admission level, we estimated that 55.6% (43 632/78 527) of the extreme high-risk patients would achieve the new LDL-C goal. Among 40 875 patients with information about discharge statin dosage, 93.5% (28 004/29 947) of the extreme high-risk patients were prescribed with statins at discharge, and among them 95.1% (26 632/28 004) received statin monotherapy and 91.1% (25 501/28 004) were at moderate doses of statins. Conclusion: About three fourth of inpatients with ACS were categorized as extreme high-risk based on the new definition of CSC expert consensuses, nine out of ten patients at extreme high-risk didn't achieve the new LDL-C target at admission, and the intensity of lipid-lowering therapy was insufficient in clinical practice. There are substantially expanding needs for implementing more intensive and effective lipid-lowering strategies.

[Advances in the mechanism of action of schisandra chinensis in bone remodeling]

Schisandra is a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It can maintain the balance of bone reconstruction and play an important role in promoting osteoblast differentiation, regulating osteoclast activity and protecting cartilage tissue. It provides a broad prospect for the treatment of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and some other diseases. In this paper, the action mechanism of schisandra chinensis and its active components in bone reconstruction was reviewed in order to provide theoretical basis for its product development and application in bone tissue engineering.

MiRNA-96 accelerates the malignant progression of ovarian cancer via targeting FOXO3a

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the potential function of miRNA-96 in accelerating the malignant progression of ovarian cancer (OC) and its underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression patterns of miRNA-96 in 36 matched OC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were determined by qRT-PCR. We analyzed the correlation between the miRNA-96 level and the clinical parameters of OC patients. Subsequently, the cellular levels of miRNA-96 in OC cell lines were determined as well. To construct miRNA-96 inhibitor and NC, the regulatory effects of miRNA-96 on the proliferative and migratory abilities in OC cells were examined. The target gene of miRNA-96 was verified by Dual-Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay. Finally, the rescue experiments were conducted to clarify the regulatory role of miRNA-96/FOXO3a axis in the malignant progression of OC.

RESULTS

MiRNA-96 was upregulated in OC tissues relative to adjacent normal ones. Compared with OC patients presenting high-level of miRNA-96, those with low-level miRNA-96 suffered more advanced tumor staging and a worse overall survival. The transfection of miRNA-96 inhibitor markedly attenuated proliferative and migratory abilities in SKOV3 and CAOV3 cells. In addition, FOXO3a was identified to be the target gene of miRNA-96, which was negatively regulated by miRNA-96. FOXO3a exerted a lower abundance in OC tissues relative to adjacent normal ones. Finally, the rescue experiments revealed that FOXO3a knockdown could abolish the inhibitory role of miRNA-96 knockdown in the proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities in OC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The knockdown of miRNA-96 attenuated the proliferative and migratory abilities in OC cells by targeting FOXO3a. We believed that miRNA-96 accelerates the malignant progression of OC, which could be utilized as a therapeutic target in clinical application.

The Associations of Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Exposure During Pregnancy With Blood Glucose Levels and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study in Wuhan, China

Investigators in previous studies have drawn inconsistent conclusions regarding the relationship between relatively low exposure to fine particulate matter (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5)) and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), while the association between high PM2.5 exposure and GDM risk has not been well studied. We investigated the association of high PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy with blood glucose levels and GDM risk in Chinese women. The present study was conducted from August 2013 to May 2016 among 3,967 pregnant women in the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort in Wuhan, China. PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy for each participant was estimated by means of land-use regression models. An interquartile-range increase in PM2.5 exposure (33.84 μg/m3 for trimester 1 and 33.23 μg/m3 for trimester 2) was associated with 36% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 1.61) and 23% (95% CI: 1.01, 1.50) increased odds of GDM during trimester 1 and trimester 2, respectively. An interquartile-range increment of PM2.5 exposure during trimester 1 increased 1-hour and 2-hour blood glucose levels by 1.40% (95% CI: 0.42, 2.37) and 1.82% (95% CI: 0.98, 2.66), respectively. The same increment of PM2.5 exposure during trimester 2 increased fasting glucose level by 0.85% (95% CI: 0.41, 1.29). Our findings suggest that high PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy increases blood glucose levels and GDM risk in Chinese women.

The up-regulated lncRNA DLX6-AS1 in colorectal cancer promotes cell proliferation, invasion and migration via modulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

OBJECTIVE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths around the world. Recently, using the high-throughput techniques, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in CRC progression. In the present study, we aimed to determine lncRNA DLX6 Antisense RNA 1 (DLX6-AS1) in CRC tissues and cell lines and to investigate the molecular mechanisms of DLX6-AS1 in CRC progression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to detect gene expression; cell counting kit-8, colony formation, cell invasion, and migration assays were performed to determine cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, respectively; caspase-3 activity assay kit was used to detect caspase-3 activity; in vivo tumor growth was evaluated in a nude mice xenograft model.

RESULTS

DLX6-AS1 was up-regulated in 60 CRC tissues when compared to normal adjacent colorectal tissues, and high expression of DLX6-AS1 was correlated with advanced T stage and distant metastasis in CRC patients. The up-regulation of DLX6-AS1 was further confirmed in CRC cell lines. The gain-of-function assays showed that DLX6-AS1 overexpression promoted HCT116 cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, but inhibited cell apoptosis; while the loss-of-function assays showed that DLX6-AS1 knockdown exerted the opposite effects in SW480 cells. In vivo studies revealed that DLX6-AS1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth in the nude mice xenograft model. In addition, DLX6-AS1 overexpression caused an increase in the phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p-PI3K), p-AKT and p-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein levels, and DLX6-AS1 knockdown had the opposite effects. Blockade of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway by using mTOR inhibitor partially abolished the enhanced effects of DLX6-AS1 overexpression on CRC cell proliferation and metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our data indicated that DLX6-AS1 promoted CRC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration but inhibited cell apoptosis via targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway, suggesting the key role of DLX6-AS1 in CRC progression.

Association between the maternal protein nutrition status during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth

We aimed to assess protein nutrition status during pregnancy by maternal plasma total protein (MTP) levels in urban pregnant women and to explore the association between the trimester-specific MTP levels and risk of preterm birth (PTB). A prospective design was conducted in 3,382 mother-newborn pairs with the second-trimester maternal MTP information and in 3,478 mother-newborn pairs with the third-trimester MTP information. Multiple Cox proportional hazard regression and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the associations between MTP levels and PTB risk as well as gestational duration, respectively. Nearly all the second-trimester MTP levels were within the clinical reference range, but more than 40% of the third-trimester MTP levels were less than the lower limit of normal. No significant association was found between the second-trimester MTP level and PTB risk. However, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of PTB across increasing quartiles of the third-trimester MTP levels were 1.00 (reference), 0.59 (0.36, 0.95), 0.35 (0.20, 0.60), and 0.32 (0.19, 0.53) (p _{for trend} < 0.001), respectively. Each standard deviations increment of the third-trimester MTP was associated with increase of 0.13 weeks in gestational duration. Moreover, stratified analyses showed that the effects of third-trimester MTP on PTB risk and gestational duration were stronger in pregnant women carrying female offspring than those carrying male offspring (p _{for interaction} < 0.05). The third-trimester MTP level was inversely associated with PTB risk and was positively associated with gestational duration. Improving third-trimester MTP level may be helpful for preventing PTB.

MiR-3174 functions as an oncogene in rectal cancer by targeting PCBD2

OBJECTIVE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent malignant tumors worldwide. Colon cancer and rectal cancer are two different malignant types, and it is important to distinguish these two cancers. However, the physiological function of microRNA-3174 (miR-3174) in rectal cancer remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-3174 in rectal cancer progression and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The relative expression level of miR-3174 in rectal cancer was evaluated by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay and colony formation assay were employed to detect the proliferation ability of cells. Flow cytometric analysis was used to detect cell cycle distribution and apoptotic cells. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter gene assay were employed to predict and verify the target genes of miR-3174, respectively. Meanwhile, the protein expression level of pterin-4 alpha-carbinolamine dehydratase 2 (PCBD2) normalized to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was assessed by Western blotting.

RESULTS

The expression level of miR-3174 was significantly up-regulated in rectal cancer. CCK8 assay and colony formation assay suggested that miR-3174 markedly promoted the proliferation of rectal cancer cells. Subsequently, flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that over-expressed miR-3174 significantly accelerated cell cycle, whereas remarkably inhibited cell apoptosis. Public prediction websites and dual luciferase reporter gene assay further validated that PCBD2 was a direct down-stream target of miR-3174. Moreover, rescue assay confirmed that miR-3174 functioned as an oncogene in rectal cancer by regulating PCBD2.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study elucidated that miR-3174 functioned as an oncogene in rectal cancer by targeting PCBD2, which might bring new insights into the search for novel biomarkers and therapeutic strategies.

A higher level of total bile acid in early mid-pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study in Wuhan, China

PURPOSE

To assess the longitudinal associations between maternal total bile acid (TBA) levels during early mid-pregnancy and the subsequent risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

In a prospective cohort study, pregnant women who were enrolled prior to gestational week 16 were followed until delivery. TBA levels were tested during weeks 14-18 of gestation. Using logistic regression, we analyzed the associations between quartiles of TBA and GDM based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24-28 gestational weeks.

RESULTS

The GDM rate was 7.9% (114/1441). The mean TBA level was higher in women with GDM than in those without GDM (2.1 ± 2.0 vs 1.5 ± 1.0 µmol/L, P = 0.000). The highest TBA level quartile (2.1-10.7 µmol/L) had a 1.78-fold (95% CI 1.01, 3.14) increased risk of GDM compared with that of the lowest quartile (0.0-0.8 µmol/L) after adjusting for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational, age at TBA test and other confounders. High TBA levels were involved in the fasting glucose level rather than that at 1 h and 2 h after OGTT in all participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with higher serum TBA levels during early mid-pregnancy have a higher risk of developing GDM. TBA may be a new risk factor for GDM.

Impulse Control and ERP Characteristics of Patients with Mental Disorder Caused by Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

Objective To explore the impulse control and event-related potential （ERP） characteristics of patients with mental disorders caused by traumatic brain injury （TBI） in forensic psychiatry identification and to provide objective auxiliary indicators for forensic psychiatry identification. Methods Thirty patients （TBI group） with mental disorders caused by traumatic brain injury, who were identified as mild psychiatric impairment by judicial psychiatry, including 24 males and 6 females, as well as the thirty people in the control group participated in the study. All the participants completed Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 （BIS-11） and ERP induced by Go/NoGo tasks. BIS-11 and ERP data were collected and analyzed. Results The results of the BIS-11 showed that the total score and subscale scores of the TBI group were higher compared to the control group （P<0.05）. Moreover, the TBI group exhibited significantly lower NoGo-N2 amplitude and lower NoGo-P3 amplitude than the control group. The NoGo-N2 amplitude was larger than the Go-N2 amplitude, and the NoGo-P3 amplitude was larger than the Go-P3 amplitude in both groups （P<0.05）. Conclusion Traumatic brain injury could impair impulse control of mild psychiatric impairment patients, and the amplitudes of NoGo-N2 and NoGo-P3 could be important parameters to evaluate the impulse control of patients with mental disorders caused by traumatic brain injury.

Folic Acid Supplement Use and Increased Risk of Gestational Hypertension

Current results regarding the effect of folic acid (FA) supplement use on gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia are limited and inconsistent. We aimed to investigate whether FA supplement use was associated with GH and preeclampsia. Participants from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort with information on periconceptional FA supplement use and diagnosis of GH/preeclampsia were included (n=4853). Robust Poisson regression was used to assess the association of FA supplement use and GH and preeclampsia. Among the 4853 participants in this study, 1161 (23.9%) and 161 (3.3%) women were diagnosed with GH and preeclampsia, respectively. The risk ratio of developing GH was higher in women who used ≥800 µg/d FA supplement from prepregnancy through midpregnancy than nonusers (risk ratio, 1.33 [1.08–1.65]). After adjusting for social-demographic, reproductive, lifestyle factors, family history of hypertension, other supplement use, and gestational weight gain, the adverse association remained significant (risk ratio, 1.32 [1.06–1.64]). Restricting the analysis among women with normal weight, without family history of hypertension, and without gestational diabetes mellitus, the positive FA-GH association still existed. We did not find any significant association between FA supplement use and preeclampsia regardless of adjustment. High-dose (≥800 µg/d) FA supplement use from prepregnancy through midpregnancy was associated with increased risk of GH. Attention should be given to avoid the potential risk of GH due to inappropriate FA supplement use in women who are planning or capable of pregnancy.