Relationship Between Nut Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Objective: Our aim was to examine the relationship between nut consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched up to November 2018 for observational studies on the relationship between nut consumption and MetS. The pooled relative risk (RR) of MetS for the highest versus lowest category of nut consumption, as well as their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: A total of 11 observational studies (6 cross-sectional and 5 prospective cohort studies), which involved a total of 89,224 participants, were identified for this meta-analysis. The overall multivariable adjusted RR showed that nut consumption was negatively associated with MetS (RR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.92; p < 0.001). Of interest, subgroup analysis confirmed that such findings existed in tree nuts (RR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-1.00; p = 0.04), but not in peanuts (RR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.96-1.06; p = 0.68). Conclusions: The existing evidence suggested that nut consumption was negatively associated with MetS. However, such an inverse relationship only existed in tree nuts, not in peanuts. More well-designed studies with detailed specifications of nut varieties are needed to further elaborate the issues examined in this study.

Red meat, poultry, and egg consumption with the risk of hypertension: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

The objective of this study was to examine the associations of red meat, poultry, and egg consumption with the risk of hypertension (HTN). The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched up to August 2017, for prospective cohort studies on the associations between red meat, poultry, or egg consumption with the risk of HTN. The pooled relative risk (RR) of HTN for the highest vs. lowest category of red meat, poultry, and egg consumption as well as their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. A total of eight articles made up of 10 prospective cohort studies, which involved 351,819 participants and 5000 HTN cases, were included in this meta-analysis. Specifically, nine studies were related to red meat consumption, and the overall multi-variable adjusted RR showed a positive association between red meat consumption and the risk of HTN (RR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11-1.35; P < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis that consisted of five studies, both processed (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.23; P = 0.02) and unprocessed (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.04-1.36; P = 0.01) red meat were associated with a higher risk of HTN. In addition, in the six studies related to poultry consumption, the overall multi-variable adjusted RR demonstrated that poultry consumption was also associated with a higher risk of HTN (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03-1.28; P = 0.015). Moreover, three of the studies that were included were related to egg consumption, and the overall multi-variable-adjusted RR showed that egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of HTN (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68-0.91; P = 0.001). The existing evidence suggested that red meat (both processed and unprocessed) and poultry consumption were associated with a higher risk of HTN, while egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of HTN. Owing to the limited number of studies, more well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to further elaborate the issues examined in this study.

Relationship Between Serum Zinc Level and Metabolic Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Objective: This research sought to summarize the evidence regarding the relationship between serum zinc level and metabolic syndrome (MetS).Methods: The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched up to October 2017 for observational studies on the association between serum zinc level and MetS. The standard mean difference (SMD) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of the serum zinc level for MetS versus control participants were calculated. In addition, the pooled odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) of MetS for the highest versus lowest category of serum zinc level, as well as their corresponding 95% CI, were also calculated.Results: A total of 11 observational studies (8 cross-sectional, 1 case-control, and 2 cohort studies) were included in this meta-analysis. The combined SMD demonstrated that the serum zinc level in MetS was higher than that in control participants (SMD = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03-0.19; p = 0.009). Moreover, the overall multivariable-adjusted RR showed that the increased serum zinc level was associated with a higher risk of MetS (RR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.33-2.50; p < 0.001). On the contrary, the overall multivariable-adjusted OR showed that there was no significant relationship between serum zinc level and MetS (OR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99-1.01; p = 0.841).Conclusions: Although the serum zinc level in participants with MetS was significantly higher than that in control ones, the existing evidence was still insufficient to conclude a definite relationship between serum zinc level and MetS. More well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to elaborate the concerned issues further.

Associations of vegetable and fruit consumption with metabolic syndrome. A meta-analysis of observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of vegetable and/or fruit consumption with metabolic syndrome (MetS). DESIGN: Meta-analysis of observational studies. SETTING: The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched up to September 2017 for observational studies concerning the associations of vegetable and/or fruit consumption with MetS. The pooled relative risk (RR) of MetS for the highest v. the lowest category of vegetable and/or fruit consumption, as well as their corresponding 95 % CI, were calculated. RESULTS: A total of twenty-six observational studies (twenty cross-sectional, one case-control and five cohort studies) were included in the meta-analysis. Specifically, sixteen studies were related to vegetable consumption and the overall multivariable-adjusted RR evidenced a negative association between vegetable consumption and MetS (RR=0·89, 95 % CI 0·85, 0·93; P<0·001). For fruit consumption, sixteen studies were included and the overall multivariable-adjusted RR demonstrated that fruit consumption was inversely associated with MetS (RR=0·81, 95 % CI 0·75, 0·88; P<0·001). For vegetable and fruit consumption, eight studies were included; the overall multivariable-adjusted RR showed that vegetable and fruit consumption was also negatively associated with MetS (RR=0·75, 95 % CI 0·63, 0·90; P=0·002). CONCLUSIONS: The existing evidence suggests that vegetable and/or fruit consumption is negatively associated with MetS. More well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to elaborate the concerned issues further.

Associations of coffee consumption with circulating level of adiponectin and leptin. A meta-analysis of observational studies.

The association between coffee consumption and the circulating level of adiponectin and leptin has been evaluated in several epidemiological studies with conflicting results. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the associations of coffee consumption with the circulating level of adiponectin and leptin. A comprehensive literature search up to January 2018, using PUBMED, EMBASE and Web of Science databases, was conducted to identify the relevant observational studies that examined the associations of coffee consumption with the circulating level of adiponectin and leptin. A total of twelve cross-sectional studies were included in this meta-analysis. According to the combined standard mean difference (SMD) between the highest and the lowest coffee intake category, coffee consumption was associated with a higher circulating adiponectin level (SMD = 0.11, 95%CI: 0.06-0.17; P < .001). Subgroup analysis confirmed such findings in females (SMD = 0.11, 95%CI: 0.02-0.20; P = .01), but not in males (SMD = 0.03, 95%CI: -0.08 to 0.14; P = .59). In addition, the combined SMD showed that coffee consumption was negatively associated with the circulating level of leptin (SMD = -0.19, 95%CI: -0.28 to -0.10; P < .001). The results of this meta-analysis suggested that coffee consumption was associated with a higher circulating level of adiponectin. Additionally, we showed that coffee consumption was inversely associated with the circulating level of leptin. More well-designed prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials are needed to further elaborate the concerned issues.

Circulating parathyroid hormone and risk of hypertension: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) level and risk of hypertension (HTN). METHODS: The electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched up to December 2017, for prospective cohort studies on the relationship between circulating PTH level and risk of HTN. The pooled relative risk (RR) of HTN for the highest versus lowest category of circulating PTH level as well as their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of six prospective cohort studies, which involved 18,994 participants and 5040 HTN cases, were included in this meta-analysis. The overall multi-variable adjusted RR showed a positive relationship between circulating PTH level and risk of HTN (RR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.09 to 1.67; P = 0.006). A substantial level of heterogeneity was observed among the studies (P < 0.001, I2 = 77.6%). No evidence of publication bias was observed among the studies according to Begg's rank-correlation test (P = 0.452). CONCLUSIONS: The existing evidence suggests that an increase in circulating PTH level may be associated with a higher risk of HTN. However, due to the limited number of included studies, more well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to further elaborate the issues examined in this study.

Is coffee consumption associated with a lower level of serum C-reactive protein? A meta-analysis of observational studies.

The association between coffee consumption and the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) has been evaluated in several epidemiological studies with conflicting results. This study aims to examine the relationship between coffee consumption and the serum CRP level. A comprehensive literature search up to August 2017, using PUBMED, EMBASE and Web of Science databases, was conducted to identify the relevant observational studies that examined the association between coffee consumption and the serum CRP level. A total of nine cross-sectional studies were included in this meta-analysis. According to the combined standard mean difference (SMD) between the highest and the lowest coffee intake category, coffee consumption was associated with a lower level of serum CRP level (SMD = -0.34, 95%CI: -0.62 to -0.06; p = .016). Subgroup analysis for CRP marker showed that coffee consumption was associated with a lower level of serum high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) (SMD = -0.51, 95%CI: -0.88 to -0.14; p = .007), but not standard CRP (SMD = 0.02, 95%CI: -0.28 to 0.32; p = .913). The existing evidence suggested that coffee consumption was associated with a lower level of serum CRP. More well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to elaborate the concerned issues further.

[Establishment and primary application of sandwich ELISA method to detect tenascin-C].

AIM: To establish a sandwich method to detect tenascin-c on the basis of preparation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against tenascin-C (TN-C). METHODS: The ascites of three stains of mAbs (No. 1A8, 3H7 and 4D6) were prepared and purified. The mAbs were conjugated with HRP and paired, respectively. The recombinant TN-C was taken as standard to analyze the optimal combination between mAbs. The sera TN-C concentrations of patients with osteosarocoma and the normal persons were evaluated with the sandwich ELISA method. RESULTS: Among these mAbs, the sensitivity was obtained when combined the coated 1A8 with HRP-4D6. The sera TN-C significantly higher than the normal controls. CONCLUSION: The sandwich ELISA method to detect TN-C was established successfully. The sera TN-C concentrations of patients with osteosarcoma and the normal persons were found distinct with the sandwich method.

Clinical value of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) gene expression in human osteosarcoma.

The dysregulation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been reported to be associated with tumor progression, angiogenesis and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical value of STAT3 expression in human osteosarcoma. First, semi-quantitative RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of STAT3 mRNA in normal bone tissues, chondroma tissues and osteosarcoma tissues. Then, immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of STAT3 protein in 76 osteosarcoma tissues and the relationship of STAT3 protein expression with clinicopathologic factors or prognosis of osteosarcoma patients. RNA interference (RNAi) technology was employed to inhibit STAT3 expression. MTT and flow cytometric assays were performed to analyze the effect of STAT3 inhibition on proliferation and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. Finally, the expression of STAT3-related target genes were also determined. Results showed that osteosarcoma tissues showed significantly higher expression levels of STAT3 mRNA than normal bone or chondroma tissues (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that the staining of STAT3 protein was mainly located in cytoplasm of osteosarcoma cells in osteosarcoma tissue samples. The high level of STAT3 protein was associated with poor tumor differentiation and presentation of metastasis (P=0.039 and 0.022). Moreover, the 5-year overall and relapse-free survival rates for osteosarcoma patients with high STAT3 expression were lower than those for patients with low STAT3 expression. In addition, the status of STAT3 protein expression was an independent prognostic factor for both disease-free survival (P=0.0235) and overall survival (P=0.0032). RNAi-mediated STAT3 inhibition could induce proliferation inhibition and apoptosis enhancement in osteosarcoma cells, which might be associated with inhibition of some anti-apoptosis genes. Overall, STAT3 plays crucial roles in osteosarcoma development and might become a potential molecular target for gene therapy of human osteosarcomas.

[Anti-tumor immune response in vitro induced by fusion of Tca8113 cells with macrophages].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of fusion tumor vaccine in tongue cancer treatment. METHODS: Human macrophages fused with human tongue carcinoma cell line Tca8113 cell. The fusion cells were selected by magnetic cell sorting (MACS) and cultured. The biological properties of fusion cells and anti-tumor immune response in vitro induced by fusions were observed. RESULTS: In contrast to Tca8113, the fused cells grew significantly slow in vitro. The expression of MHC I, II antigen of the fusion cells which was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) was higher than that of Tca8113. The fused cells significantly increased the proliferation of mixed lymphocyte and induced their cytotoxicity on parental Tca8113. CONCLUSIONS: The fusion tumor vaccine of macrophages and OSCC cells increase in vitro immunogenicity significantly. This indicates that fusion tumor vaccine could be a new method of anti-tumor immunotherapy, which has important potentials for effective individualized human OSCC vaccine.

[Establishment and characteristics of a human chordoma cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To present an established human chordoma cell line for chordoma research. METHODS: The specimens pathologically identified as chordoma were cultured, using primary tissue culture in vitro. The surviving cells were analyzed by morphology, histochemical stain, cell cycling analysis, karyotype analysis, electron microscopic observation, heterotransplantation and study of invasive capacity in vitro. RESULTS: The newly established cell line CM-319 has been maintained in continual cultures for over 100 generations in two years. Its morphological observation, histochemical staining properties, electron microscopic observation and heterotransplantation showed the common characteristics of chordoma. The doubling time of cells was about 33 hours. Cell cycle analysis showed: G(1) 55.6%, G(2) 21.9% and S 22.5%, G(2)/G(1) = 1.90. Chromosome analysis showed a hypotriploid feature and the success rate of heterotransplantation was 100%. It is capable of invasion in vitro. CONCLUSION: CM-319, as a cell line derived from human chordoma cells, may serve for further studies of chordoma.

[Biomechanical study on the composite of allogenic decalcified bone matrix gelatin and bone cement].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the biomechanical properties and structural characteristics of various composites of partially decalcified allogenic bone matrix gelatin and bone cement at different ratios. METHODS: According to Urist method, partially decalcified allogenic bone matrix gelatin was prepared and mixed with bone cement at different ratios of 0, 400, 500, and 600 mg/g. Then the comparisons of these composites were performed in microstructure, ultimate compression strength and ultimate bending strength properties. RESULTS: The electronic microscope showed that the bone particles and bone cement were distributed evenly in the composite, irregularly connecting by multiple points; with the increase of bone particles and decrease of bone cement in the composite, there were more and more natural crevices, varying from 100 microns to 400 microns in width, in the biomaterials. Of all the composites with the ratios of 0, 400, 500, and 600 mg/g, the measurements of ultimate compression strength were (71.7 +/- 2.0) MPa, (46.9 +/- 3.3) MPa, (39.8 +/- 4.1) MPa, and (32.2 +/- 3.4) MPa, respectively; and the measurements of ultimate bending strength were (65.0 +/- 3.4) MPa, (38.2 +/- 4.0) MPa, (33.1 +/- 4.3) MPa and (25.3 +/- 4.6) MPa, respectively. CONCLUSION: The composite of partially decalcified allogenic bone matrix gelatin and bone cement has a good biomechanical property and could be easily fabricated and re-shaped, which make it available to be used clinically as an idea bone graft biomaterial.