High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Leads to Increased Incident Metabolic Syndrome in Women but Not in Men: A Five-Year Follow-Up Study in a Chinese Population.

PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), characterized by a constellation of insulin resistance, central obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, is a global health threat. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been shown to be associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; however, its association with incident MetS is less known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prospective association between hs-CRP and MetS among a Chinese population in a 5-year follow-up study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The levels of hs-CRP were measured using serum samples collected at baseline recruitment in 2012 from 886 participants without MetS. Follow-up interviews were conducted in 2018, and MetS was diagnosed by 2017 criteria from the Chinese Diabetes Society. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the overall and sex-specific associations between hs-CRP and incident MetS. The odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed with adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up duration of 5.40 ± 0.56 years, 116 (13.3%) participants developed MetS. In the total study population, increased hs-CRP levels were associated with a higher risk of MetS (OR comparing extreme quartiles of hs-CRP: 4.06 [95% CI: 1.91-8.65]) in the fully-adjusted model. When stratified by sex, the positive association was only observed in women (OR: 4.82 [1.89-12.3]) but not in men (OR: 3.15 [0.82-12.1]; P-interaction = 0.039). CONCLUSION: In this study of a Chinese population, a positive association between hs-CRP and incident MetS was found only in women and not in men. Sex-specific prediction and intervention of MetS using hs-CRP as a target should be further evaluated.

Locating the Acupoint Baihui (GV20) Beneath the Cerebral Cortex with MRI Reconstructed 3D Neuroimages.

Baihui (GV20) is one of the most important acupoints of the Du meridian (the government vessel) and is commonly used in neurology and psychiatry and as a distal point of anorectal disorders by general practitioners. The anatomical relationship between the scalp region of the acupoint and the underlying corresponding cortex remains obscure. In this study, we first prepared the indicator for MRI scanning on a GE 1.5 T excite machine in a mode suitable for 3D reconstruction. The 3D Avizo software system (version 6.0, Mercury Computer Systems, Inc., Germany) was then used for image processing and the resulting data subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The mean distance from the Baihui anterior to the central sulcus in the adult group was greater than that in the child group (22.7 ± 2.2 and 19.7 ± 2.2 mm, resp., P = .042), whereas in the child group the distance between the Baihui anterior and the precentral sulcus was greater than in the adult group (6.8 ± 0.8 and 3.8 ± 0.8 mm, resp., P < .001). This MRI presentation demonstrates that the location of Baihui (GV20) can be identified using the distance from the central or precentral sulcus.

Two cases of epithelioid angiosarcoma involving the thyroid and a brief review of non-Alpine epithelioid angiosarcoma of the thyroid.

Epithelioid angiosarcoma involving the thyroid is a rare entity, more often described in the Alpine region. Two cases of epithelioid angiosarcoma that affected the thyroid in patients from a non-Alpine location were diagnosed during a 10-year period in our department. The first case occurred in an 89-year-old Chinese man with a history of longstanding goiter, whereas the second case involved a 74-year-old Chinese man with a history of angiosarcoma of the scalp. On histologic examination, both thyroid tumors were composed of plump epithelioid cells with vesicular chromatin and prominent nucleoli, forming vascular structures and solid sheets. Positive staining for CD31 and factor VIII-related antigen confirmed endothelial differentiation in both cases. Both patients died within 5 months following the diagnosis of thyroid disease. The relationship of the scalp angiosarcoma and thyroid disease of the second patient is unclear. A brief review of non-Alpine primary thyroid epithelioid angiosarcoma is presented.