A survey study of factors influencing elevated blood lead levels in donors from Qingdao, China.

BACKGROUND: That lead is harmful to multiple systems of the human body has been known since antiquity and numerous recent studies have shown that blood transfusion may be an important source of exposure to lead in blood recipients. In this study factors influencing elevated lead levels in blood samples from donors in Qingdao, a city in northern China were investigated to provide screening procedures for blood donors and safer blood transfusions for blood recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2021, subjects from 15 blood donation sites in Qingdao were selected by stratified random sampling. Blood lead levels (BLL) were analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression models were used to analyze factors influencing BLL. RESULTS: Of 2,142 blood donors, 1,434 were male and 708 were female, with an average age of 34.8 years. The geometric mean of BLL was 26.03 µg/L (95% confidence interval: 25.52-26.56), and donors in the high blood lead group (≥35 µg/L) accounted for 25.6% of the study population. Multiple linear regression results showed BLL was associated with gender, age, place of residence, duration of residence, and smoking status. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male, increasing age, living in Jimo, duration of residence ≥30 years, and smoking were risk factors for high BLL, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) being 2.10 (1.61-2.73), 1.03 (1.01-1.04), 3.89 (1.09-13.86), 1.64 (1.22-2.20), and 1.76 (1.40-2.22), respectively. DISCUSSION: Male, advanced age, living in Jimo, smoking, and duration of residence ≥30 years were associated with higher BLL. Infusion of blood with elevated lead concentration can be reduced by screening out donors presenting one or more of the above risk factors.

Long Distance Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from Contaminated Cold Chain Products to Humans - Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, September 2020.

What is already known about this topic? Though coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has largely been controlled in China, several outbreaks of COVID-19 have occurred from importation of cases or of suspected virus-contaminated products. Though several outbreaks have been traced to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolated on the outer packaging of cold chain products, live virus has not been obtained. What is added by this report? In September 2020, two dock workers were detected as having asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection using throat swabs during routine screening in Qingdao, China. Epidemiological information showed that the two dock workers were infected after contact with contaminated outer packaging, which was confirmed by genomic sequencing. Compared to the Wuhan reference strain, the sequences from the dock workers and the package materials differed by 12-14 nucleotides. Furthermore, infectious virus from the cold chain products was isolated by cell culture, and typical SARS-CoV-2 particles were observed under electron microscopy. What are the implications for public health practice? The international community should pay close attention to SARS-CoV-2 transmission mode through cold chain, build international cooperative efforts in response, share relevant data, and call on all countries to take effective prevention and control measures to prevent virus contamination in cold-chain food production, marine fishing and processing, transportation, and other operations.

Influence of air pollutants on varicella among adults.

Little attention has been paid to the relationship between air pollutants and varicella among adults. We used data collected in Qingdao, China from 2014 to 2019. A combination of quasi-Poisson generalized linear model (GLM) and distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was applied to evaluate the association between exposure to air pollutants and varicella. And the effects of exposure to extremely high concentration (at 97.5th percentile) and low concentration (at 2.5th percentile) of air pollutants on varicella were also calculated. The level II of GB3095-2012 was used as the reference. A 10 µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 was significantly associated with an increased risk of varicella (lag day: 4, 5 and 6). The negative associations were found for NO2 per 10 µg/m3 increase from lag 15 to 19 day. The high PM2.5 concentration (135 µg/m3) was significantly associated with the increased risk of varicella (lag day: 6, 7). For NO2, the negative association was found at high concentration (75 µg/m3) on lag 15 to 20 day; and the positive relationship was shown at low concentration (10 µg/m3) on lag 15 to 20 day. Exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 were significantly associated with the risk of varicella among adults.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Age-Related Hearing Impairment in Middle- and Old-Aged Chinese Twins.

BACKGROUND: Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) is considered an unpreventable disorder. We aimed to detect specific genetic variants that are potentially related to ARHI via genome-wide association study (GWAS). METHODS: A sample of 131 dizygotic twins was genotyped for single-nucleotide polymorphism- (SNP-) based GWAS. Gene-based test was performed using VEGAS2. Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted by PASCAL. RESULTS: The twins are with a median age of 49 years, of which 128 were females and 134 were males. rs6633657 was the only SNP that reached the genome-wide significance level for better ear hearing level (BEHL) at 2.0 kHz (P = 1.19 × 10-8). Totally, 9, 10, 42, 7, 17, and 5 SNPs were suggestive evidence level for (P < 1 × 10-5) BEHLs at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 kHz and pure tone average (PTA), respectively. Several promising genetic regions in chromosomes (near the C20orf196, AQPEP, UBQLN3, OR51B5, OR51I2, OR52D1, GLTP, GIT2, and PARK2) nominally associated with ARHI were identified. Gene-based analysis revealed 165, 173, 77, 178, 170, and 145 genes nominally associated with BEHLs at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 kHz and PTA, respectively (P < 0.05). For BEHLs at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz, the main enriched pathways were phosphatidylinositol signaling system, regulation of ornithine decarboxylase, eukaryotic translation initiation factor (EIF) pathway, amine compound solute carrier (SLC) transporters, synthesis of phosphoinositides (PIPS) at the plasma membrane, and phosphatidylinositols (PI) metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic variations reported herein are significantly involved in functional genes and regulatory domains that mediate ARHI pathogenesis. These findings provide clues for the further unraveling of the molecular physiology of hearing functions and identifying novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of ARHI.

Association between NR3C1 gene polymorphisms and age-related hearing impairment in Qingdao Chinese elderly.

BACKGROUND: Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) has attracted increasing attention recently. It is caused by genetic and environmental factors. A number of ARHI-related genes have been found. This study aimed to detect the potential association between NR3C1 gene polymorphisms and ARHI by means of weighted allele score. METHODS: A total of 861 participants from Qingdao city were selected by means of cluster random sampling. We statistically evaluated the characteristics of individuals and used the Mann-Whitney U test or chi-square test for comparison. The publicly available expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) was queried on the website of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). We used the weighted allele score and logistic regression analysis to explore the association between NR3C1 gene polymorphisms and ARHI. Finally, the prediction model was constructed by logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: All individuals over 60 years of age were enrolled in this study. The allele of rs61757411, rs41423247 and rs6877893 were significantly different between the ARHI group and the normal hearing group (P < 0.01). Though eQTL analysis, rs6877893 and rs33388 might affect the occurrence of ARHI by affecting the expression of NR3C1 gene in artery aorta. Then we performed two models: one without adding any covariates into model and the other adjusting for demographic characteristic, smoking and drinking, diet and exercise, and physical conditions. In the multivariate-adjusted model 2, the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval for weighted allele score (NR3C1) was 0.841 (0.710-0.995, P = 0.043). The area under the ROC curve was 0.755, indicating that the model had good predictability. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that NR3C1 gene polymorphisms was significantly associated with ARHI.

Preliminary evidence for an influence of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the composition of the gut microbiota and neurodevelopment in three-year-old healthy children.

BACKGROUND: During the second and third year after birth the gut microbiota (GM) is subjected to important development. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure could influence the GM in animal and early postnatal exposure is associated with neurodevelopment disorder in children. This study was designed to explore the possible influence of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the composition of the gut microbiota (GM) and neurodevelopment in a sample of 38 healthy children at the age of 3 years. METHODS: A brief development (Gesell Development Inventory, GDI) and behavior test (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL) were completed on 3-yr-olds and stool samples were collected for 16S rRNA V4-V5 sequencing. The PAH-DNA adduct in the umbilical cord blood and the urinary hydroxyl PAHs (OH-PAHs) at the age of 12 months were measured as pre- and postnatal PAH exposure, respectively. RESULTS: The most abundant two phyla were Bacteroidetes (68.6%) and Firmicutes (24.2%). The phyla Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, and Lentisphaerae were positively correlated with most domain behaviors of the GDI, whereas the Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Fusobacteria were negatively correlated. Correspondingly, the phyla Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria showed positive correlations with most CBCL core and broadband syndromes, whereas the Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, Synergistetes, Proteobacteria and Tenericules were negatively correlated. The OH-PAH levels were not significantly associated with the Firmicutes phylum whereas the Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidia, and Bacteroidales all showed significant negative association with the OH-PAH levels. CONCLUSION: The current findings suggest that composition of the GM is associated with neurodevelopment of the child. PAHs seem to change the relative abundance of some taxa (some deleted and some recruited) to counteract the negative effects of the PAHs.

Bayesian Spatial Modeling for Housing Data in South Africa.

Spatial process models are being increasingly employed for analyzing data available at geocoded locations. In this article, we build a hierarchical framework with multivariate spatial processes, where the outcomes are "mixed" in the sense that some may be continuous, some binary and others may be counts. The underlying idea is to build a joint model by hierarchically building conditional distributions with different spatial processes embedded in each conditional distribution. The idea is simple and the resulting models can be fitted to multivariate spatial data using straightforward Bayesian computing methods such as Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. Bayesian inference is carried out for parameter estimation and spatial interpolation. The proposed models are illustrated using housing data collected in the Walmer district of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Inferential interest resides in modeling spatial dependencies of dependent outcomes and associations accounting for independent explanatory variables. Comparisons across different models confirm that the selling price of a house in our data set is relatively better modeled by incorporating spatial processes.

Influence of postnatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure on the neurodevelopment of toddlers at the age of 12 months.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible influence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure on neurodevelopment of toddlers at the age of 12 months. METHODS: Totally 306 subjects were recruited from the Qingdao Birth Cohort established in 2014. PAH-DNA adducts in toddlers' umbilical cord blood samples, hydroxyl-PAH metabolites in their urine samples and the developmental quotients (DQs) were measured. Sex, gestational age, birth weight, and maternal educational background were adjusted to analyze the influence of the PAH exposure on the neurodevelopment of the toddlers using multivariate linear regression model. RESULTS: Pearson correlation test showed that the logarithmic values of hydroxyl-PAH were negatively correlated with the DQs. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that logarithmic concentration of 1(9)- hydroxyphenanthrene was still associated with the DQs of the fine motor behaviors with ß and 95% confidential interval (CI) of -1.137 (-2.053, -0.222), together with PAH-DNA adducts [ß (95% CI): -0.577 (-0.930, -0.225)]. PAH-DNA adducts presented an independently negative influence on the DQs of the gross motor and personal social behaviors with ß (95%CI) of -0.470 (-0.814, -0.126) and -0.526 (-0.859, -0.193), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The exposure to PAHs in toddlers at 12 months could influence their neurodevelopment. Additionally, prenatal exposure to PAHs should also be considered.

Effect of Benzo[a]pyrene-DNA Adduct in Cord Blood on the Neurodevelopment of 12-Month-Old Infants in Qingdao City.

INTRODUCTION: The study was designed to explore the possible adverse effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the neurodevelopment of the infants at the age of 12 months in a birth cohort in Qingdao of China. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-DNA adduct level in umbilical cord blood was measured by enzyme immunoassay. METHODS: Child neurodevelopment was assessed at both 6 months and 12 months of age using the Gesell Development Inventory (GDI). RESULTS: This study results reveal that multivariate linear analysis, cord BaP-DNA adduct level was inversely associated with developmental quotient score in the adaptive domain [ß = -0.08; 95% CI: (-0.16, -0.003); p = 0.04], gross motor domain [ß = -0.10; 95% CI: (-0.20, -0.01); p = 0.02], fine motor domain [ß = -0.15; 95% CI: (-0.25, -0.05); p = 0.01], language domain [ß = -0.12; 95% CI: (-0.21, -0.03); p = 0.02], and personal-social domain [ß = -0.13; 95% CI: (-0.22, -0.04); p<0.01]. Further, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed increased cord BaP-DNA adduct levels associated with increased odds of delayed in language domain. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the study suggested that prenatal PAH exposure monitored by umbilical cord blood BaP-DNA adducts may adversely affect the neurodevelopment of the infants at 12 months of age.

[Association of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during pregnancy with autism spectrum disorder-related behaviors in toddlers: a birth cohort study].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related behaviors in toddlers. METHODS: A total of 348 toddlers who had accepted the measurement of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood and evaluation of behavior problems at the age of 36 months were enrolled in this birth cohort study. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) were used to evaluate behavior problems at the age of 36 months. The correlation of the concentration of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood with CBCL and ABC scores at the age of 36 months were analyzed. RESULTS: The detection rate of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood was 52.3%, and the median concentration was 0.68 ng/mL. The median total scores of CBCL and ABC scales were 23 and 8 respectively. In children aged 36 months, the concentration of PAH-DNA adduct was positively correlated with the score of social withdrawal in the CBCL scale (rs=0.205, P<0.05), the total score of the ABC scale (rs=0.412, P<0.05), and the self-care score of the ABC scale (rs=0.355, P<0.05). The concentration of PAH-DNA adduct was closely associated with the total score of the ABC scale in children aged 36 months (ß=0.122, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PAH exposure during pregnancy may be a risk factor for ASD-related behaviors in toddlers. Effective reduction of PAH exposure during pregnancy and detection of PAH-DNA adduct in neonatal umbilical cord blood are of vital importance for early prevention, screening and intervention of ASD.

Effect of the GSTM1 genotype on the biomarkers of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Meta-analysis.

The role of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) in the biomonitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is not clear. Our purpose has been to evaluate the influence of GSTM1 genotypes on 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) adducts, and micronucleus frequency in both occupational and non-occupational populations of null and active GSTM1 carriers. We conducted a meta-analysis on 25 articles that met our strict inclusion criteria (11 studies on 1-OHP, 9 on DNA adducts, and 5 on the micronucleus frequency). In the case of occupationally exposed workers, micronucleus frequency was only significantly higher in the null GSTM1 carriers than in the active GSTM1 carriers. In the non-occupationally exposed general population, 1-OHP and micronucleus frequency were significantly higher in the null GSTM1 carriers. The results of Egger's test and funnel plot analysis indicated no significant publication bias. In conclusion, GSTM1 genotypes may affect the urinary 1-OHP in the non-occupationally exposed general population, and micronucleus frequency in both occupational workers and non-occupational population. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(2):177-201.

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in settled house dust from urban dwellings in China and their neurodevelopmental effects on preschool-aged children.

We investigated the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in settled house dust (SHD) from urban dwellings with resident preschool-aged children in Nanjing, China. The possible neurodevelopmental effects of house-dust PCBs were also explored. SHD was collected from 114 urban houses. The levels of 39 PCB congeners were measured by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The Child Behavior Checklist and the Gesell Development Inventory were used to evaluate the child's development. All 39 target congeners measured were detected. The mass percentage of di-PCBs was the highest at 47.8%, followed by tetra- and tri-PCBs at 16.8% and 13.0%, respectively. Spearman's rho correlation showed that di-, tri-, hexa-, hepta-, nona- and total PCBs were positively associated with somatic, thought problem and total problem scores (0.24

Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in settled house dust from urban dwellings with resident preschool-aged children in Nanjing, China.

We investigated the levels and possible determinants of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the settled house-dust (SHD) of urban dwellings with resident preschool-aged children in Nanjing, China. The possible neurodevelopmental effects of house-dust PBDEs were also explored. SHD was collected from 216 urban houses. Levels of 8 PBDEs were measured by gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The Child Behavior Checklist and the Gesell Development Inventory were used to evaluate the child's development. BDE47, BDE99, BDE153, BDE18, and BDE209 were detected in the SHD of >90 % of houses, of which BDE209 predominated. Most PBDEs were found at significantly greater levels in indoor than in outdoor dust (P < 0.05). Levels of BDE28 and BDE154 in houses with solid-wood floors were significantly greater than those in houses with plywood floors (P < 0.05). BDE154 levels in houses with wallpaper were significantly greater than those without wallpaper (P < 0.05). Greater BDE47 concentrations were found in houses with less natural ventilation time (linear trend P < 0.05). After dichotomization at the geometric mean concentration, BDE209 and total BDEs showed significant risks for depressed behavior problems and lower personal social developmental quotients (DQs); BDE99 and BDE153 indicated a risk for lower personal social DQs. In conclusion, PBDEs (especially BDE209) are ubiquitous in urban SHD in Nanjing residences. Natural ventilation and floor materials potentially influence PBDE levels in SHD. The potential adverse effect of postnatal exposure to PBDEs on the behavior and neurodevelopment of preschool-age children requires follow-up in larger studies.

[Determination of six progesterones in milk by on-line cleanup liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A new method using TurboFlow on-line cleanup liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has been developed for simultaneous determination of six progesterones including 19-norethindrone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, medroxyprogesterone, megestrol acetate, progesterone and melengestrol acetate in milk. Samples were extracted by acetonitrile. The analytes in extract were on-line purified directly on Cyclone-P purification column where the sample matrices were washed away. Subsequently, the analytes which were eluted from the extraction column onto Phenyl-Hexyl column were separated with a gradient elution, and detected with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the positive scan mode using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The isotope internal standards were employed for quantification. As a result, the linearities were satisfactory with the correlation coefficients of > 0.999 at concentrations ranging from 0.1 microg/L to 50 microg/L. Based on the repeated analysis of a known blank sample, the limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.5 microg/kg. Average recoveries of the analytes fortified at three levels (1, 5 and 25 microg/kg) ranged from 90.8% to 107.5%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranged from 6.3% to 11.8%. This proposed method is simple, rapid, sensitive and highly selective, and can be applied to simultaneous identification an quantification of the six progesterones in milk.

[Determination of 39 polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor dust using ultrasonic extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method for the determination of 39 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor dust was developed. A vacuum cleaner was used for gathering the house dust. N-Hexane-dichloromethane (1: 1, v/v) was added and the extraction was performed in an ultrasonic bath. The supernatant was concentrated and then 0.1 mL n-hexane-dichloromethane (1: 1, v/v) was added. Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) in selected-reaction monitoring (SRM) mode has been investigated for the determination of the 39 PCBs congeners in indoor dust. The 39 PCBs had highly efficient separation within 30 min and showed good linearity in the range of 0.1 - 100 microg/L with the correlation coefficients of 0.991 0 - 0.999 9. The spiked recoveries were 57.2% - 120.3%. The intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) were between 0.3% and 24.7%, while the inter-day RSDs were between 0.6% and 29.9%. This method has good linearity, high sensitivity, high accuracy and precision. Also, it is simple, rapid and low solvent consumption. The low chemical background interference allowed it to be used in more complex matrices.

High urinary bisphenol A concentrations in workers and possible laboratory abnormalities.

OBJECTIVES: Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in epoxy resins in China. There are few reports on the adverse health effects of occupational exposure to BPA. This study examined associations between urinary BPA concentrations in workers and laboratory parameters for health status. METHODS: Spot urine checks at the end shift on Friday were used for cross-sectional analysis of BPA concentrations, and blood or urinary markers of liver function, glucose homeostasis, thyroid function and cardiovascular diseases were measured. The 28 participants were workers in two semiautomatic epoxy resin factories. RESULTS: The average urinary BPA concentration was 55.73±5.48 ng/ml (geometric mean ± geometric SD) (range 5.56-1934.85 ng/ml). After adjusting for urine creatinine (Cr), it was 31.96±4.42 µg/g Cr (geometric mean ± geometric SD) (range 4.61-1253.69 µg/g Cr). BPA feeding operators showed the highest concentrations, over 10 times those of the crushing and packing and office workers. Higher BPA concentrations were associated with clinically abnormal concentrations of FT3, FT4, TT3, TT4, thyroid-stimulating hormone, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and γ-glutamyl transferase. Workers with higher BPA concentrations showed higher FT3 concentrations (linear trend: p<0.001). Bivariate correlation tests for laboratory analytes within normal limits showed FT3 to be positively associated with logged BPA concentrations, r=0.57, p=0.002. FT4 was positively associated with lactate dehydrogenase, r=0.45, p=0.020, and insulin was positively associated with thyroid-stimulating hormone with r=0.57, p=0.009. CONCLUSIONS: Higher occupational BPA exposure, reflected in urinary concentrations of BPA, may be associated with thyroid hormone disruption.

[Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in indoor dust using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry].

A method for the determination of eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in indoor dust was developed. A vacuum cleaner was used for gathering the house dust, and n-hexane was added and the extraction was performed in an ultrasonic bath. The supernatant was concentrated and then n-hexane was added to 0.1 mL. Gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NCI/MS) has been investigated for the determination of the eight PBDE congeners in indoor dust. The eight PBDEs were separated within 20 min. The absolute recoveries were 53.2% - 107.6%. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of intra-day were between 2.8% and 16.5%, while the RSDs of inter-day were between 6.4% and 22.6%. The limits of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) were in the range of 0.003 - 0.015 ng/g except the LOD of BDE-209 was 0.15 ng/g. The results indicated that the proposed method is sensitive, accurate, fast, simple, low solvent consumption and suitable for the determination of tri- to deca-BDEs in indoor dust.

Prevalence of and risk factors for subjective symptoms in urban preschool children without a cause identified by the guardian.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of and the risk factors for subjective symptoms without an identified cause by the guardian (SSWICG) in urban preschool children. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect information from 661 urban preschool children. The subjective symptoms were cited from the MM075NA Indoor Environment Quality Investigation Questionnaire. Information about living conditions, kindergarten and outdoor environments was collected, as well as health information from each child. RESULTS: The prevalence of SSWICG reached 31%, among which the prevalence of general symptoms in the central nervous system (CNS) reached 54.6%. Univariate analysis showed that the materials that made indoor furniture, walls and doors, indoor biological factors, outdoor pollution sources near the house and traffic pollution were associated with SSWICG and mucosal, dermal and general symptoms in the CNS subgroups. Multivariate analysis also showed that furniture materials, traffic pollution, kindergarten environment quality and allergies were associated. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of SSWICG was relatively high. Possible risk factors include indoor furnishing materials, allergy, traffic pollution and kindergarten environmental pollution.

Association between maternal allergic rhinitis and asthma on the prevalence of atopic disease in offspring.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common co-morbidity of allergic rhinitis (AR). The prevalence of these two allergic diseases has increased in China and has been shown to cluster in families independently. This study evaluated the association between maternal AR (presenting with or without asthma) and the allergic conditions in offspring. METHODS: Women (n = 592) diagnosed with AR were recruited for this study; 379 patients presented with AR and 213 presented with both AR and asthma. Total serum IgE levels and nasal eosinophil counts were analyzed and correlated with disease presentation. RESULTS: The prevalence of allergic conditions in offspring of mothers diagnosed with AR and asthma was significantly higher than the prevalence observed in children born to mothers presenting with AR only. Maternal total serum IgE and eosinophil counts were predictive of atopy in offspring. Children born to mothers presenting with persistent moderate-to-severe AR had the highest risk of developing atopic conditions (OR 6.26, 95% CI 3.26-12.02). Maternal age of 25-30 years at delivery was also associated with a higher risk for the allergic disease in offspring compared to maternal age of 36-40 (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.31-3.47). CONCLUSIONS: The severity of maternal AR, asthma co-morbidity, elevated serum IgE levels and nasal eosinophilia were all associated with an increased risk of offspring developing allergic conditions. Children born to older mothers were protected against developing atopic disease.

C-reactive protein is associated with cigarette smoking-induced hyperfiltration and proteinuria in an apparently healthy population.

Although cigarette smoking is known to be an important risk factor for renal disease, the mechanism by which smoking induces progressive renal disease in a healthy population has not been established. We hypothesized that oxidative stress (measured as 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2α), 8-iso-PGF2a), inflammation (highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), hs-CRP) and nitric oxide may be associated with an alteration in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria in otherwise healthy smokers. A total of 649 eligible subjects were classified according to their smoking status. Plasma NOx was measured using ozone-based chemiluminescence, urinary 8-iso-PGF2a was measured using enzyme immunoassay and serum hs-CRP was measured using a latex aggregation nephelometry method. The levels of 8-iso-PGF2a and hs-CRP increased in current smokers (P=0.001 and P=0.029, respectively), although there was not an increase in the NOx level. The prevalence of a high eGFR increased in light smokers (odds ratio (OR) 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.61-2.17)) and heavy smokers (OR 2.33 (95% CI, 1.06-5.10)) when compared with non- and past smokers (P for trend=0.024). The multivariable-adjusted mean values of the eGFR in current smokers, reported from the lowest to the highest quintiles of hs-CRP levels, were 82.1, 85.1, 86.4 and 88.5 ml per min per 1.73 m² (P for trend=0.027). The mean values of proteinuria were 28.6, 34.6, 37.2 and 39.5 mg g⁻¹ creatinine (P for trend=0.003). The correlation coefficient between hs-CRP and eGFR was increased significantly (P=0.03) across non- (r=0.03), past (r=-0.17), light (r=0.13) and heavy smokers (r=0.31). In conclusion, cigarette smoking is a risk factor for renal function alteration in healthy smokers and is characterized by a high eGFR and a high urinary protein associated with an increase in the hs-CRP. This finding suggests that hs-CRP may help mediate the alteration of renal function in smokers.