Dexmedetomidine reduces acute kidney injury after endovascular aortic repair of Stanford type B aortic dissection: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of dexmedetomidine on acute kidney injury (AKI) following endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) for Stanford type B aortic dissection (TBAD). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study. SETTING: University Hospital. PATIENTS: 102 TBAD patients undergoing EVAR procedures were enrolled. Patients with dissection involving aortic arch or renal artery were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to a dexmedetomidine group (intravenous dexmedetomidine 0.4 µg/kg/h immediately after anesthesia induction and 0.1 µg/kg/h after extubation, which was maintained until 24 h) or a normal saline control group. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within the first two days after surgery, based on the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria. The secondary outcomes included serum cystatin C and estimated glomerular filtration rate on postoperative days 1, 2, and 7, and in-hospital need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). Long-term outcomes included RRT and all-cause mortality. MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients completed the study (dexmedetomidine, n = 48; control, n = 50). AKIN stage 1 AKI occurred in 3/48 (6.3%) patients receiving dexmedetomidine, compared with 11/50 (22%) patients receiving normal saline (odds ratio = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.89, P = 0.041). This difference remained significant after adjusting for baseline covariates (adjusted odds ratio = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.84; P = 0.028). Dexmedetomidine led to a lower serum cystatin C on postoperative day 1 (median [IQR] mg/L: 1.31 [1.02-1.72] vs. 1.58 [1.28-1.96]). There were no between-group differences in other secondary or long-term outcomes. During the follow-up (median = 28.4 months), 1 patient in the dexmedetomidine group and 3 patients in the control group required RRT. CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine reduced the incidence of AKI in TBAD patients after EVAR procedures. The long-term benefits of dexmedetomidine in this patient population warrant further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-IPR-15006372.

A promoter polymorphism rs2075824 within IMPA2 gene affecting the transcription activity: possible relationship with schizophrenia.

Previous studies with biological and genetic evidence indicate that the myo-inositol monophosphatase 2 (IMPA2) gene may influence schizophrenia. We performed a genetic association study in Han Chinese cohorts. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms within IMPA2 promoter region (rs971363, rs971362, rs2075824, rs111410794 and rs111610121), as well as one (rs45442994, in intron 1) that was positively associated in another study, were selected for genotyping in 1397 patients with schizophrenia and 1285 mentally healthy controls. Genotype and allele frequencies were assessed by gender stratification. Interestingly, rs2075824 showed a strong association with schizophrenia (P = 4.1 × 10-4 ), and the T allele was more frequent in cases than controls [P = 5.6 × 10-5 , OR (95% CI) = 1.26 (1.13-1.41)]. In vitro promoter assay showed that the transcription activity of the T allele promoter was higher than that of the C allele promoter and the T allele of rs2075824 contributed to risk for schizophrenia. By stratifying males and females, we found a gender-specific association for IMPA2 and schizophrenia: the T allele of rs2075824 was more frequent in male cases compared with male controls [P = 1.4 × 10-4 , OR (95% CI) = 1.33 (1.15-1.55)]. Our data suggest that a promoter polymorphism of IMPA2 possibly contributed to risk for schizophrenia by elevating transcription activity in Han Chinese individuals.

Rapid and simultaneous detection of three major diarrhea-causing viruses by multiplex real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification.

Rotaviruses, noroviruses and astroviruses are the major viral pathogens leading to diarrhea worldwide. Epidemiological investigations of outbreaks associated with these viruses have been impeded by the lack of methods for quick diagnosis and detection. In the current study, a multiplex real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (RT-NASBA) system was developed for the simultaneous detection of rotavirus A/norovirus genogroup II/astrovirus. The specificity and sensitivity of the assay were compared with multiplex RT-PCR. The results showed that the multiplex RT-NASBA assay was established successfully, and robust signals could be observed in 10 minutes with high specificity. The limit of detection of the multiplex RT-NASBA assay was 7, 100, and 200 copies per reaction for rotavirus A, norovirus genogroup II, and astrovirus, respectively. The assay was thus 10 to 100 times more sensitive than multiplex RT-PCR. Clinical evaluation indicated that the assay was 100% concordant with multiplex RT-PCR and was reliable for the detection of both single infections and multiple infections in stool samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multiplex RT-NASBA assay established for the detection of three major diarrhea-causing viruses. This assay provides a valuable platform for the rapid, specific, sensitive and simultaneous diagnosis of these pathogens, especially in resource-limited countries where expensive thermocycling equipment is not available.

Interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 pathway genetics affect disease susceptibility, serum immunoglobulin E levels, and gene expression in asthma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common immune disorder characterized by increased IgE levels. The interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 pathway is central for IgE regulation, and previous studies have reported many genetic variants of IL-4/IL-13 signaling in relation to asthma, but few have focused on the gene-to-gene interactions that are likely to contribute to disease complexity. OBJECTIVE: To assess the combined effects of 7 functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on asthma susceptibility, total serum IgE levels, and gene expression in children. METHODS: Seven SNPs (rs2243250, rs1800925, rs1805010, rs324011, rs2251746, rs2494262, and rs2427837) were genotyped children with asthma (n = 500) and a control group (n = 523), and total serum IgE levels and gene expressions were measured in children with asthma. RESULTS: Children with asthma had a likelier possibility of carrying more risk genotypes. Mean IgE levels increased from the minimum of 71.07 KU/L in children with no tested polymorphisms to a maximum of 901.7 KU/L in children carrying 7 risk genotypes. Gene expression analysis showed that patients with 4 SNPs (rs2243250, rs1800925, rs1805010, and rs3224011) had higher expression levels of IL-4, IL-13, and STAT6. Moreover, serum IgE level generally correlated well with IL-4 (r = 0.236, P = .011) and IL-13 (r = 0.211, P = .021) expressions; IL-4 expression correlated positively with IL-13 (r = 0.962, P = .000) and STAT6 (r = 0.190, P = .022) expressions, and STAT6 expression correlated with IL-4RA expression (r = 0.904, P = .000). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that combinations of multiple SNPs might magnify the impact on disease risk. Only a combined analysis of the variants in the IL-4/IL-13 pathway could show the functional interplay of multiple genes in asthma.