ABSTRACT
Objective@#To analyze the prevalence of dry and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and to analyze the risk factors for AMD.@*Methods@#A population-based cross-sectional epidemiologic study was conducted involving 14,440 individuals. We assessed the prevalence of dry and wet AMD in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and analyzed the risk factors for AMD.@*Results@#The prevalence of wet AMD in diabetic and non-diabetic patients was 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively, and the prevalence of dry AMD was 17% and 16.4%, respectively. The prevalence of wet AMD in healthy, hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, and hypertensive/hyperlipidemic populations was 0.5%, 0.3%, 0.2%, and 0.7%, respectively. The prevalence of dry AMD in healthy, hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, and hypertensive/hyperlipidemic populations was 16.6%, 16.2%, 15.2%, and 17.2%, respectively. Age, sex, body mass index, and use of hypoglycemic drugs or lowering blood pressure drugs were corrected in the risk factor analysis of AMD. Diabetes, diabetes/hypertension, diabetes/hyperlipidemia, and diabetes/hypertension/hyperlipidemia were analyzed. None of the factors analyzed in the current study increased the risk for the onset of AMD.@*Conclusion@#There was no significant difference in the prevalence of wet and dry AMD among diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of wet and dry AMD among subjects with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Diabetes co-existing with hypertension and hyperlipidemia were not shown to be risk factors for the onset of dry AMD.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , Hyperlipidemias/epidemiology , Hypertension/epidemiology , Macular Degeneration/etiology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
The effects of fluoride exposure on the functions of reproductive and endocrine systems have attracted widespread attention in academic circle nowadays. However, it is unclear whether the gene-environment interaction may modify the secretion and activity of hypothalamus-pituitary- ovarian (HPO) axis hormones. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the influence of fluoride exposure and follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene polymorphism on reproductive hormones in Chinese women. A cross sectional study was conducted in seven villages of Henan Province, China during 2010-2011. A total of 679 women aged 18-48 years were recruited through cluster sampling and divided into three groups, i.e. endemic fluorosis group (EFG), defluoridation project group (DFPG), and control group (CG) based on the local fluoride concentration in drinking water. The serum levels of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2) were determined respectively and the FSHR polymorphism was detected by real time PCR assay. The results provided the preliminary evidence indicating the gene-environment interaction on HPO axis hormones in women.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Age Factors , Asian People , China , Cross-Sectional Studies , Estradiol , Blood , Fluoridation , Fluorides , Urine , Follicle Stimulating Hormone , Blood , Gene-Environment Interaction , Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone , Blood , Hypothalamus , Physiology , Luteinizing Hormone , Blood , Ovary , Physiology , Pituitary Gland , Physiology , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Receptors, FSH , Genetics , Tobacco Smoke PollutionABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the resistance and its mechanism of Shigellae spp. to quinolones.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-three clinical isolates were collected. Susceptibility tests of pipemidic adcid (PI), ofloxacin (OFL), norfloxacin (NOR), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were performed in all clinical isolates and Shigella 51573. The N-terminal coding region of gyrA and parC were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respectively. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was applied to all PCR procucts of gyrA and parC, and single strand conformational polymorphism analysis (SSCP) was also applied to PCR procucts of parC.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The resistance rates for all the Shigella spp. to PI, CIP, NOR and OFL were 79.5%, 60.3%, 41.1% and 36.9%. Sixty-seven strains (91.8%) were quinolone-reduced-sensitive isolates, in which 61 strains (91%) were found carrying mutations in gyrA with 5 strains (7.5%) found carrying mutations in parC. No mutation was found in 6 quinolone-sensitive isolates or Shigella 51573.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Shigella spp. had high resistance rates to quinolones. The target gene mutations which were mainly found in gyrA and secondarily in parC, played an important role in the quinolone-resistance in Shigella spp.</p>