The association of in-utero exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and umbilical liver enzymes.

BACKGROUND: The adverse health influences of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposures have been examined in several previous research. However, the evidence on the health influences of PAHs exposure during pregnancy and childhood is scarce, with no study on the infant's liver function. Therefore, in this study, the association of in-utero exposure to particulate matter-bound PAHs (PM-bound PAHs) on the umbilical liver enzymes was investigated. METHODS: A total of 450 mother-pair samples were assessed in this cross-sectional study in Sabzevar, Iran (2019-2021). The concentrations of PM-bound PAHs were estimated based on spatiotemporal models at residential addresses. The umbilical cord blood alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were measured as indicators of infant's liver function. The association of PM-bound PAHs with umbilical liver enzymes was evaluated using multiple linear regression, controlled for relevant covariates. The quantile g-computation (g-comp) was used to investigate the combined impact of the 15 PAHs on liver function biomarkers. RESULTS: Higher levels of total 4-ring PAHs, Dibenzo[a,h]anthrancene, Anthracene, Pyrene, Benzo[a]anthracene, Phenanthrene, Fluorene, Acenaphthylene and Naphthalene were associated with higher umbilical ALP. An increase in total 5-ring PAHs, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Benzo[a]pyrene and Chrysene was associated with higher umbilical AST levels. Each 1 ng/m3 increase in exposure to Benzo[g,h,i]perylene was related with 182.21 U/L (95 % CI: 116.11, 248.31, P < 0.01) increase in umbilical GGT. PAHs mixture exposure was positively associated with higher umbilical AST and ALT, while no significant associations were noted for ALP and GGT. We observed a potentially stronger association for girls compared to boys based on umbilical ALT and AST. However, for GGT and ALP, these associations were stronger for boys compared to girls. CONCLUSION: Overall our findings suggested that exposure to PAHs during pregnancy had adverse effects on infant's liver function.

Brain network during balance in older adults: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo study the brain network during balance control tasks in older adults. MethodsFrom January to April, 2022, 22 healthy young adults and 20 healthy older adults were recruited from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and communities. They were asked to finish standing tasks on the plantar pressure plate with eyes opening and closing, while the functional connectivities (FC) of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and primary motor cortex (PMC) were measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. ResultsCompared with the young adults, the area of the ellipse (Z = -2.884, P < 0.01) and the maximum swing (Z = -2.481, P < 0.05) increased in the older adults as eyes closing. During the standing task, the intra-FC of left (t = 2.978, P < 0.01) and right (Z = -3.123, P < 0.01) PFC decreased in the older adults, and the inter-FC of right PMC to left PFC (t = 2.087, P < 0.05) and right PFC to left PFC (t = 3.471, P < 0.001) decreased, too. ConclusionThe FC of PFC decreased in healthy older adults during balance control tasks, which may be a indicator for aging brain.

Effect of moxibustion on prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin in lung cancer / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effects between moxibustion combined with 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) receptor antagonist and simple 5-HT receptor antagonist in the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-eight patients with lung cancer who were treated with cisplatin chemotherapy were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group, 29 cases in each one. The patients in the two groups were applied by 5-HT receptor antagonist to prevent nausea and vomiting on the 1st through 3rd days of chemotherapy. Moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20) and Zhongwan (CV 12) was used in the observation group 1-3 days before chemotherapy for 1 course, 3 days as 1 course, 5 cones each acupoint and once a day. Rhodes's index of nausea and vomiting and retching (INVR) was recorded in 0-24 h, 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h of chemotherapy. The rates of nausea and vomiting, as well as fatigue degree were observed in the above 4 time periods. The safety was assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the scores of nausea and vomiting in 0-24 h, 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h of chemotherapy in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (all <0.01). The nausea rates in the above 4 time periods in the observation group were 37.9% (11/29), 62.1% (18/29), 60.7% (17/28) and 17.4% (4/23), which were lower than 93.1% (27/29), 89.7% (26/29), 89.3% (25/28), 52.0% (13/25) in the control group respectively (all <0.05). The vomiting rates in the above 4 time periods in the observation group were 10.3% (3/29), 31.0% (9/29), 32.1% (9/28) and 13.0% (3/23), which were better than 37.9% (11/29), 79.3% (23/29), 82.1% (23/28) and 44.0% (11/25) in the control group (all <0.05). The fatigue scores in the observation group in 0-24 h, 24-48 h, 48-72 h and 72-96 h of chemotherapy were lower than those in the control group (all <0.01). There was no adverse reactions in the two groups during chemotherapy, such as skin toxicity, diarrhea, fever, allergy, etc.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Moxibustion combined with 5-HT receptor antagonist can obviously reduce the rates and degrees of nausea and vomiting caused by cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer, which are better than simple 5-HT receptor antagonist, without apparent adverse reactions.</p>

Study on Losses and Gains of Medical Insurance Funds Induced by Essential Medicine System in a County / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To explore losses and gains (L&G) and L&G ratio induced by Essential Medicine System in a county. METHODS:By choosing a county in western China as sample area,field investigation was used to collect outpatient and inpatient visits,outpatient and inpatient income,drug income,total length of stay and medical insurance reimbursement criteria in primary medical institutions (township health centers,village health rooms) of the county during 2009-2015. By setting the year 2009 as the baseline year,the drug cost reimbursed by medical insurance was simulated and calculated when Essential Medicine System were not implemented;L&G and L&G ratio of medical insurance were calculated by comparing with actual drug cost reimbursed by medical insurance. RESULTS:The year 2012,in which the sample county fully implemented the Essential Medicine System was the turning year. Medical insurance funds lost in primary medical institutions of the county during 2010-2011(lost 437000,915000 yuan,respectively),but gained during 2012 to 2015(gained 199000,494000,858000,1290000 yuan, respectively);the L&G ratio increased from -0.67％ to 1.21％. For reimbursed outpatient drug cost and inpatient cost,L&G of medical insurance were different. For reimbursed drug cost of village health room and township health center,L&G of medical insurance were also different. CONCLUSIONS:The implementation of Essential Medicine System benefits to medical insurance within the county and Medical insurance funds can be saved.

Association of LTC4S gene rs730012 single nucleotide polymorphism with childhood asthma / 国际儿科学杂志

Objective To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of leukotriene C4 synthase(LTC4S) rs730012 in the childhood asthma.Methods Sequence specific primers-polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the genetic polymorphism of LTC4S rs730012 in 105 asthma children with different order of severity and 128 non-asthma children in our hospital in the northeast of China to analyse the association between the SNP of LTC4S rs730012 and susceptibility,clinical phenotype in asthma children.Results (1) In case group,genotype frequencies of A/C,A/A and C/C were 71.4％ 、25.7％ 、2.9％,allele frequencies for A,C were 84.3％,15.7％.In control group,the genotype frequencies of A/A,A/C,C/C,were 70.3％,28.9％,0.8％,allele frequencies for A,C were 84.8％,15.2％.No significant difference was found in AA genotype and C allele frequencies between case and control grouP(x2 =0.035、0.020,P both ＞0.05).(2) C/C genotype or C allele frequencies in moderate-severe asthma group were significantly higher than the mild asthma group(x2 =5.859、5.641,P both ＜ 0.05);(3) SaO2 of A/A group was significantly higher than A/C and C/C group (t =2.976,Pboth ＜ 0.05),and FeNO and obstructive ventilatory disorder incidence rate in A/C,C/C group were higher than A/A group,the differences were statistically significant (t =2.946、x2 =5.564,P both ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The SNP of LTC4S rs730012 is associated with the order of severity,SaO2,FeNO,pulmonary function in asthma children of northeast China.However,the rs730012 is not associated with the susceptibility for asthma.

Detection and analysis of specific antibodies of food allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis / 中国耳鼻咽喉头颈外科

[ABSTRACT]OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between food allergen specific IgE, IgG and allergic rhinitis, and to explore the significance of food allergen in the diagnosis and prevention of allergic rhinitis.METHODSTen kinds of food specific IgE were detected by Western blot and 14 kinds of food specific IgG were detected by ELISA in 2860 allergic rhinitis patients. The positive results of specific IgE and specific IgG were retrospectively analyzed.RESULTSThere was no difference in positive rate of allergen in patients with different gender. Total positive rate of food specific IgE was 68.5%. The specific IgE positive rate of crab was 31.5%, shrimp 27.6%, milk 21.3%, fish assemblages 19.2%, freshwater fish assemblages 18.3% and soybean 17.2%. With the growth of age, the specific IgE positive rate of peanut increased, but eggs decreased. The total positive rate of food allergen specific IgG was 81.5%. The specific IgG positive rate of egg was 59.4%, milk 38.2%, codfish 32.6%, soybean 22.8%, rice 19% and shrimp 12.7%. With the growth of age, the specific IgG positive rate of crab increased. Specific IgE and IgG of soybean, milk, crab, shrimp and fish were correlated well.CONCLUSIONThe detection of specific food allergen antibodies is helpful for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.