Biomedical and environmental sciences : BES最新文献

Objective: In recent decades, China has implemented a series of policies to address air pollution. We aimed to assess the health effects of these policies on stroke burden attributable to ambient fine particulate matter (PM _2.5).

Methods: Joinpoint regression was applied to explore the temporal tendency of stroke burden based on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.

Results: The age-standardized rates of disability-adjusted life year (DALY) for stroke attributable to ambient PM _2.5 in China, increased dramatically during 1990-2012, subsequently decreased at an annual percentage change (APC) of -1.98 [95% confidence interval ( CI): -2.26, -1.71] during 2012-2019. For ischemic stroke (IS), the age-standardized DALY rates doubled from 1990 to 2014, and decreased at an APC of -0.83 (95% CI: -1.33, -0.33) during 2014-2019. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) showed a substantial increase in age-standardized DALY rates from 1990 to 2003, followed by declining trends, with APCs of -1.46 (95% CI: -2.74, -0.16) during 2003-2007 and -3.33 (95% CI: -3.61, -3.06) during 2011-2019, respectively. Conversely, the age-standardized DALY rates for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) generally declined during 1990-2019.

Conclusion: Our results clarified the dynamic changes of the ambient PM _2.5-attributable stroke burden in China during 1990-2019, highlighting the health effects of air quality improvement policies.

Objective: Air pollution is a leading public health issue. This study investigated the effect of air quality and pollutants on pulmonary function and inflammation in patients with asthma in Shanghai.

Methods: The study monitored 27 asthma outpatients for a year, collecting data on weather, patient self-management [daily asthma diary, peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring, medication usage], spirometry and serum markers. To explore the potential mechanisms of any effects, asthmatic mice induced by ovalbumin (OVA) were exposed to PM _2.5.

Results: Statistical and correlational analyses revealed that air pollutants have both acute and chronic effects on asthma. Acute exposure showed a correlation between PEF and levels of ozone (O ₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO ₂). Chronic exposure indicated that interleukin-5 (IL-5) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) levels correlated with PM _2.5 and PM ₁₀ concentrations. In asthmatic mouse models, exposure to PM _2.5 increased cytokine levels and worsened lung function. Additionally, PM _2.5 exposure inhibited cell proliferation by blocking the NF-κB and ERK phosphorylation pathways.

Conclusion: Ambient air pollutants exacerbate asthma by worsening lung function and enhancing Th2-mediated inflammation. Specifically, PM _2.5 significantly contributes to these adverse effects. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms by which PM _2.5 impacts asthma.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the impact of rare earth elements (REEs) exposure on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) by analyzing samples from spouses.

Methods: A total of 141 couples were included. Blood and follicular fluid from the wives and semen plasma from the husbands, were analyzed for REEs using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Spearman's correlation coefficients and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to assess correlations and compare REE concentrations among three types of samples, respectively. Logistic models were utilized to estimate the individual REE effect on IVF-ET outcomes, while BKMR and WQS models explored the mixture of REE interaction effects on IVF-ET outcomes.

Results: Higher La concentration in semen (median 0.089 ng/mL, P = 0.03) was associated with a lower fertilization rate. However, this effect was not observed after artificial selection intervention through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) ( P = 0.27). In semen, the REEs mixture did not exhibit any significant association with clinical pregnancy.

Conclusion: Our study revealed a potential association between high La exposure in semen and a decline in fertilization rate, but not clinical pregnancy rate. This is the first to report REEs concentrations in follicular fluid with La, Ce, Pr, and Nd found at significantly lower concentrations than in serum, suggesting that these four REEs may not accumulate in the female reproductive system. However, at the current exposure levels, mixed REEs exposure did not exhibit reproductive toxicity.

Objective: To examine the precise function of influenza A virus target genes (IATGs) in malignancy.

Methods: Using multi-omics data from the TCGA and TCPA datasets, 33 tumor types were evaluated for IATGs. IATG expression in cancer cells was analyzed using transcriptome analysis. Copy number variation (CNV) was assessed using GISTICS 2.0. Spearman's analysis was used to correlate mRNA expression with methylation levels. GSEA was used for the enrichment analysis. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to examine the association between IATG mRNA expression and IC50. The ImmuCellAI algorithm was used to calculate the infiltration scores of 24 immune cell types.

Results: In 13 solid tumors, IATG mRNA levels were atypically expressed. Except for UCS, UVM, KICH, PCPG, THCA, CHOL, LAMI, and MESO, most cancers contained somatic IATG mutations. The main types of CNVs in IATGs are heterozygous amplifications and deletions. In most tumors, IATG mRNA expression is adversely associated with methylation. RT-PCR demonstrated that EGFR, ANXA5, CACNA1C, CD209, UVRAG were upregulated and CLEC4M was downregulated in KIRC cell lines, consistent with the TCGA and GTEx data.

Conclusion: Genomic changes and clinical characteristics of IATGs were identified, which may offer fresh perspectives linking the influenza A virus to cancer.

Objective: The occurrence of chickenpox in rapidly developing areas poses substantial seasonal risk to children. However, certain factors influencing local chickenpox outbreaks have not been studied. Here, we examined the relationship between spatial clustering, heterogeneity of chickenpox outbreaks, and socioeconomic factors in Southern China.

Methods: We assessed chickenpox outbreak data from Southern China between 2006 and 2021, comprising both relatively fast-growing parts and slower sub-regions, and provides a representative sample of many developing regions. We analyzed the spatial clustering attributes associated with chickenpox outbreaks using Moran's I and local indicators of spatial association and quantified their socioeconomic determinants using Geodetector q statistics.

Results: There were significant spatial heterogeneity in the risk of chickenpox outbreaks, with strong correlations between chickenpox risk and various factors, particularly demographics and living environment. Furthermore, interactive effects among specific are factors, such as population density and per capita residential building area, percentage of households with toilets, percentage of rental housing, exhibited q statistics of 0.28, 0.25, and 0.24, respectively.

Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the spatial dynamics of chickenpox outbreaks in rapidly developing regions, revealing the socioeconomic factors affecting disease transmission. These implications extend the formulation of effective public health strategies and interventions to prevent and control chickenpox outbreaks in similar global contexts.

Objective: A high sodium (HS) diet is believed to affect bone metabolism processes. Clarifying its impact on osseointegration of titanium (Ti) implants holds significant implications for postoperative dietary management of implanted patients.

Methods: This investigation probed the impact of sodium ions (Na ⁺) on neovascularization and osteogenesis around Ti implants in vivo, utilizing micro-computed tomography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemical analyses. Concurrently, in vitro experiments assessed the effects of varied Na ⁺ concentrations and exposure durations on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and MC3T3-E1 cells.

Results: In vivo, increased dietary sodium (0.8%-6.0%) led to a substantial decline in CD34 positive HUVECs and new bone formation around Ti implants, alongside an increase in inflammatory cells. In vitro, an increase in Na ⁺ concentration (140-150 mmol/L) adversely affected the proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration of HUVECs, especially with prolonged exposure. While MC3T3-E1 cells initially exhibited less susceptibility to high Na ⁺ concentrations compared to HUVECs during short-term exposure, prolonged exposure to a HS environment progressively diminished their proliferation, differentiation, and osteogenic capabilities.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that HS diet had a negative effect on the early osseointegration of Ti implants by interfering with the process of postoperative vascularized bone regeneration.

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a nutritional intervention in rescuers who screened positive for depression.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was employed. From June to August, 2022, 4,460 rescuers were screened using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and 1,615 positive cases were identified. Thirty-one volunteers were recruited and randomly divided into a nutritional intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received health education and nutritional intervention (a compound paste therapy primarily composed of red roses and Seville orange flowers), while the control group received psychological education. SDS scores were assessed before and after the intervention.

Results: There was a statistically significant decline in SDS scores in the nutritional intervention group after the intervention ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the SDS scores of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the control group, both before and after the intervention ( P < 0.05). No severe adverse reactions were observed during safety evaluation.

Conclusion: The nutritional intervention effectively reduced the depression scores in rescuers. Early nutritional intervention is recommended for rescuers who initially screen positive for depression.

Objective: To systematically summarize the published literature on the genetic variants associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: Literature from Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase between January 1980 and September 2022 was systematically searched. Meta-analyses of the genetic variants were conducted using at least five data sources. The epidemiologic credibility of the significant associations was graded using the Venice criteria.

Results: Based on literature screening, 399 eligible studies were included, comprising 381 candidate gene association, 16 genome-wide association, and 2 whole-exome sequencing studies. We identified 465 genetic variants in 173 genes in candidate gene association studies, and 25 genetic variants in 17 genes were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis identified 11 variants in 10 genes that were significantly associated with NAFLD, with cumulative epidemiological evidence of an association graded as strong for two variants in two genes ( HFE, TNF), moderate for four variants in three genes ( TM6SF2, GCKR, and ADIPOQ), and weak for five variants in five genes ( MBOAT7, PEMT, PNPLA3, LEPR, and MTHFR).

Conclusion: This study identified six variants in five genes that had moderate to strong evidence of an association with NAFLD, which may help understand the genetic architecture of NAFLD risk.