Association between plasma proteome and pulmonary heart disease: A two-stage Mendelian randomization analysis.

Pulmonary heart disease (PHD) involves altered structure and function of the right ventricle caused by an abnormal respiratory system that causes pulmonary hypertension. However, the association between changes in plasma proteomics and PHD remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to identify causal associations between genetically predicted plasma protein levels and PHD. Mendelian randomization was performed to test the target proteins associated with PHD. Summary statistics for the human plasma proteome and pulmonary heart disease were acquired from the UK Biobank (6038 cases and 426 977 controls) and the FinnGen study (6753 cases and 302 401 controls). Publicly available pQTLs datasets for human plasma proteins were obtained from a largescale genome-wide association study in the INTERVAL study. The results were validated using a case-control cohort. We first enrolled 3622 plasma proteins with conditionally independent genetic variants; three proteins (histo-blood group ABO system transferase, activating signal cointegration 1 complex subunit 1, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase I [CAMK1]) were significantly associated with the risk of pulmonary heart disease in the UK Biobank cohort. Only CAMK1 was successfully replicated (odds ratio: 1.1056, 95% confidence interval: 1.019-1.095, p = 0.0029) in the FinnGen population. In addition, the level of CAMK1 in 40 patients with PHD was significantly higher (p = 0.023) than that in the control group. This work proposes that CAMK1 is associated with PHD, underscoring the importance of the calcium signaling pathway in the pathophysiology to improve therapies for PHD.

Serum apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A-I ratio predicts mortality in patients with heart failure.

AIMS: Apolipoproteins have been reported to be involved in many cardiovascular diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate the prognostic value of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) to apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) ratio (ApoB/ApoA-I) in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We randomly assigned 2400 HF patients into the training cohort (n = 1400) and the validation cohort (n = 1000). Using a receiver operating characteristic curve, we identified the optimal cut-off value of the ApoB/ApoA-I in the training cohort as 0.69, which was further validated in the validation cohort. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted to eliminate the imbalance in the baseline characteristics of the high and low ApoB/ApoA-I group. A total of 2242 HF patients were generated in the PSM cohort. We also validated our results with an independent cohort (n = 838). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the independent prognostic value of ApoB/ApoA-I in the training cohort (n = 1400), the validation cohort (n = 1000), the PSM cohort (n = 2242), and the independent cohort (n = 838). Patients with high ApoB/ApoA-I ratio had significantly poorer prognosis compared with those with low ApoB/ApoA-I ratio in the training cohort, the validation cohort, the PSM cohort, and the independent cohort (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that the ApoB/ApoA-I was an independent prognostic factor for HF in the training cohort [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.637, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.201-2.231, P = 0.002], the validation cohort (HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.051-2.257, P = 0.027), the PSM cohort (HR = 1.645, 95% CI = 1.273-2.125, P < 0.001), and the independent cohort (HR = 1.987, 95% CI = 1.251-3.155, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Serum ApoB/ApoA-I ratio is an independent predictor for the prognosis of HF patients.

Association between serum albumin to serum creatinine ratio and mortality risk in patients with heart failure.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum albumin to serum creatinine ratio (sACR) and the prognosis of heart failure (HF). In this single-center prospective cohort study, a total of 2625 patients with HF were enrolled between March 2012 and June 2017. All patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of sACR. Of 2625 patients, the mean age was 57.0 ± 14.3 years. During a median follow-up time of 23 months, 666 end point events occurred. Prognosis analysis indicated that the lowest sACR was significantly associated with higher mortality risk of HF (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.920, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.585-2.326, p < 0.001) when compared with the highest tertile. After adjusting for covariates including age, gender, diabetes, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, and ß-blocker use, the HRs for mortality risk of HF was 1.513 (95% CI = 1.070-2.139, p = 0.019). Subgroup analysis indicated that the mortality risk of HF statistically significantly reduced with the rise in sACR in patients with no ß-blocker use, patients with serum creatine less than 97 µmol/L. However, stratification by age, sex, history of hypertension, diabetes, and smoking, level of glycosylated hemoglobin, and albumin have no obvious effect on the association between sACR and the prognosis of HF. Additionally, patients with lower sACR displayed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter. The discriminant power of sACR alone and in combination with age, gender, SBP, heart rate, and glycosylated hemoglobin were excellent with C statistic of 0.655 and 0.889, respectively. Lower sACR was an independent risk factor for mortality risk of HF.

Association between MMP2 gene polymorphisms and dilated cardiomyopathy in a Chinese Han population.

AIMS: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) belongs to the common types of cardiomyopathies. The pathogenesis remains unclear despite the fact that various genes have been found associated with DCM. MMP2 is a zinc-dependent and calcium-containing secreted endoproteinases, which could cleave a broad spectrum of substrates including extracellular matrix components and cytokines. It has proved to play an important role in the cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of MMP2 gene polymorphisms in DCM susceptibility and prognosis in a Chinese Han population. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 600 idiopathic DCM patients and 700 healthy controls were enrolled. Patients with contact information were followed up for a median period of 28 months. Three tagged single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs243865, rs2285052, and rs2285053) in the promoter of MMP2 gene were genotyped. A series of function analysis were conducted to illuminate the underlying mechanism. The frequency of rs243865-C allele was increased in DCM patients when compared with healthy controls (P = 0.001). Genotypic frequencies of rs243865 were associated with the susceptibility of DCM in the codominant, dominant, and overdominant models (P < 0.05). Besides, rs243865-C allele presented a correlation with the poor prognosis of DCM patients in both dominant (HR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-3.57, P = 0.017) and additive (HR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.09-3.13, P = 0.02) model. The statistical significance remained after adjustment for sex, age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and smoking status. There were significant differences in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and left ventricular ejection fraction between rs243865-CC and CT genotypes. Functional analysis indicated that rs243865-C allele increased luciferase activity and the mRNA expression level of MMP2 by facilitating ZNF354C binding. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that MMP2 gene polymorphisms were associated with DCM susceptibility and prognosis in the Chinese Han population.

[Field investigation on the influences of hand-transmitted vibration measurements during working with air wrench].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the four influences of hand-transmitted vibration measurements by the orthogonal experimental in air wrench. METHODS: With reference to the measurement standard for hand-transmitted vibration ISO 5349 Mechanical vibration-Measurement and evaluation of human exposure to hand-transmitted vibrationPart1:General requirements and Mechanical vibration-Measurement and evaluation of human expusure to hand-transmitted vibration-Part 2:Practical guidance for measurement at the workplace, the domestic AWA5936 hand-transmitted vibration measuring instrument was used to measure hand-transmitted vibration in 3 workers for an automobile plant in production chain field for the orthogonal continuously experimental in May, 2016, and data were recorded and compared. 3 the domestic AWA5936 hand-transmitted vibration measuring instrumencases of hand vibration workers as research object, based on ISO5349. The determinate influences factors were adapter locations, measurement time, hand vibration workers and accelerator axis. RESULTS: The range and variance analysis of adaptor location, measurement time, operate staff and accelerator axis were 59. 5, 62. 4, 52. 1 and 6. 80. The significance test, the factor of the adapter location is the high degree(F_(0. 01)=5. 42), measurement time and operate staff are the ordinary degree(F_(0. 05)=3. 33, F_(0. 1)=2. 50). CONCLUSION: The adaptor location was the main uncertain influences factors on HAV measurements, the measurement time and operator staff were the potential influences factor.

[An investigation of prevalence of malignant tumors in 1204 nurses].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of malignant tumors in nurses and its influencing factors and to provide a reference for protecting the health of nurses. METHODS: Cluster sampling was used to randomly survey 1204 married nurses working in one tumor hospital and two tertiary general hospital in Beijing, China, from June to August in 2014. Using the homemade health questionnaire and medical examination reports, the prevalence of malignant tumors in nurses was analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of malignant tumors in nurses was 18.3‰, and the prevalence of malignant tumors in the tumor hospital was the highest, reaching 40.1‰. The prevalence of malignant tumors varied significantly between nurses in different hospitals (P<0.05) and in different departments (P<0.05). The malignant tumors in nurses mainly included breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and cervical cancer. The mean age of nurses suffering from malignant tumors was 41 years, and the mean length of service was 20 years. The hospital and department where nurses worked, as well as their age and length of service, were significantly associated with malignant tumors (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and cervical cancer is high in nurses surveyed, particularly those working in the tumor hospital. Further in-depth analysis of the reasons is needed to take preventive interventions for protecting the health of nurses.

[Investigation of occupational health status of female workers in pharmaceutical industry of Shandong and Gansu provinces].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate occupational health status of female workers in pharmaceutical industries and to propose the protective measures for the occupational health. METHOD: A total of 2816 female workers from 19 pharmaceutical industries in Shandong and Gansu provinces were investigated by a questionnaire. RESULTS: 73.1% of female workers exposed to occupational hazards, mainly to toxic chemicals. 63.2% of them suffered from dysmenorrhea; 38.5% of them have reproductive system diseases, i.e. mammary gland hyperplasia (44.1%), cervical erosion (26.5%), uterine annex inflammation (24.2%); 17.1% of them suffered from accidental work injuries; 34.7% of them complained about low back pain, and 29.7% of them perceived hearing loss. 94.9% of female workers hoped to get the occupational health and labor protection knowledge and skills. CONCLUSION: Strengthening the supervision of labor protection for female workers, including technical measures occupational hazards control and health-related knowledge, and improving the occupational health status of female workers should be conducted.