Jun-Yi Luo

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia among adults in Northwestern China: the cardiovascular risk survey

AimThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia in Xinjiang, China.MethodStratified sampling method was used to select a representative sample of the general population including Chinese Han, Uygur, and Kazak in this geographic area. Seven cities were chosen. Based on the government records of registered residences, one participant was randomly selected from each household. The eligibility criterion for the study was ≥ 35 years of age.ResultsA total of 14,618 participants (5,757 Han, 4,767 Uygur, and 4,094 Kazak), were randomly selected from 26 villages in 7 cities. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 52.72% in the all participants. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was higher in Han than that in the other two ethnic (58.58% in Han, 48.27% in Uygur, and 49.60% in Kazak, P < 0.000). The prevalence of dyslipidemia was higher in men than that in women (56.4% vs. 49.3%, P < 0.000). Among the participants with dyslipidemia, the proportion of those who aware, treat, control of dyslipidemia were 53.67%, 22.51%, 17.09% in Han, 42.19%, 27.78%, 16.20% in Uygur, 37.02%, 21.11%, 17.77% in Kazak.ConclusionDyslipidemia is highly prevalent in Xinjiang. The proportion of participants with dyslipidemia who were aware, treated, and controlled is unacceptably low. These results underscore the urgent need to develop national strategies to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of dyslipidemia in Xinjiang.

MIF gene polymorphism rs755622 is associated with coronary artery disease and severity of coronary lesions in a Chinese Kazakh population: a case-control study

AbstractInflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Recent studies indicate that macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine which mediates the inflammatory process during atherosclerosis.The polymorphism of MIF gene (rs755622 [−173G/C], rs1007888, and rs2096525) were genotyped by TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assay in 320 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 603 controls in a Chinese Kazakh population. Coronary angiography was performed on all CAD patients and Gensini score was used to assess the severity of coronary artery lesions.The frequency of the CC genotype and C allele of rs755622 were significantly higher in CAD patients than that in control subjects (8.4% vs. 5.1%, P < 0.001, 30.3% vs. 22.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with CC genotype or C allele had a higher risk for CAD (CC genotype vs. GG genotype, OR = 2.224, 95% CI, 1.239–3.992, P = 0.007, and C allele vs. G allele, OR = 1.473, 95% CI, 1.156–1.876, P = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, CAD patients with rs755622 C allele (CC + CG genotype) have higher levels of Gensini score when compared to C allele noncarriers (32.74 ± 26.66 vs. 21.44 ± 19.40, P < 0.001, adjusted).Our results suggested that the CC genotype and C allele of MIF rs755622 SNP may be a genetic marker for the risk of CAD and potentially predict the severity of CAD in Chinese Kazakh population.

Appropriate LDL-C-to-HDL-C Ratio Cutoffs for Categorization of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Uygur Adults in Xinjiang, China

Elevated LDL-C/HDL-C ratio has been shown to be a marker of lipid metabolism as well as a good predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is useful for detecting cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in general healthy Uygur adults in Xinjiang. A total of 4047 Uygur subjects aged ≥35 years were selected from the Cardiovascular Risk Survey (CRS) study which was carried out from October 2007 to March 2010. Anthropometric data, blood pressure, lipid profile and fasting glucose were measured in all participants. The prevalence, sensitivity, specificity and distance on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of each LDL-C/HDL-C ratio were calculated. The prevalence of high LDL-C and low HDL-C cholesterol was high and positively correlated with higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio in the Uygur population. In both men and women, we detected a slight apparent trend of high prevalence of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia with higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Our study also demonstrated that the discriminatory power of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio for CVD risk factors was slightly stronger in men than in women. Analysis of the shortest distance in the ROC curves for hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, or ≥two of these risk factors suggested a LDL-C/HDL-C ratio cutoff of 2.5 for both men and women. The results of this study showed that a LDL-C/HDL-C ratio cut-off of 2.5 might be used as the predictive marker to detect CVD risk factors among Uygur adults in Xinjiang.

Mutant DD genotype of NFKB1 gene is associated with the susceptibility and severity of coronary artery disease

Nuclear factor κappa B (NF-κB) is an important transcription factor in the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). Recent evidence suggests that -94 ATTG ins/del mutant in the promoter of NFKB1 gene is an essential functional mutant. The present study demonstrated the frequencies of the del/del (DD) genotype and del (D) allele were significantly higher in CAD patients than in controls. CAD patients carrying mutant DD genotype had worse stenosis of diseased coronary arteries compared to those carrying ins/ins (II) or ins/del (ID) genotype. Plasma levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were lower, while inflammatory cytokine incnterlukin-6 (IL-6) was higher in CAD patients with DD genotype than those with II or ID genotype (both P<0.05). In vitro study showed that mutant human umbilical vein endothelial cells (DD genotype HUVECs) were more susceptible to H2O2-induced apoptosis, which was accompanied with a decreased Bcl-2 expression. Further, mutant HUVECs had lower eNOS but higher IL-6 mRNA levels and decreased phosphorylation of eNOS under H2O2-stimulation (both P<0.05). Compared to wild type cells (II genotype), significantly downregulated protein expression of total NF-κB p50 subunit were observed in mutant HUVECs with or without oxidative stress, and a lower expression of unclear p50 was associated with a decreased p50 nuclear translocation in mutant HUVECs versus wild type cells under H2O2-stimulation (both P<0.05). In conclusion, mutant DD genotype of NFKB1 gene is associated with the risk and severity of CAD. Dwonregulation of NF-κB p50 subunit leads to exacerbated endothelial dysfunction and apoptosis and enhanced inflammatory response that is the potential underlying mechanism.

LDL-C:HDL-C ratio and common carotid plaque in Xinjiang Uygur obese adults: a cross-sectional study

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C:HDL-C) ratio and common carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CCAP) among obese adults of Uygur community in Xinjiang, China. Design A hospital-based cross-sectional study. Setting First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Participants A total of 1449 obese adults of Uygur population who were free of coronary artery disease were included in our study from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016. Methodology Lipid profiles, other routine laboratory parameters and intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery were measured in all participants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between LDL-C:HDL-C ratio and CCAP. Results Four hundred and fifteen (28.64%) participants had CCAP. Participants with CCAP had significantly higher LDL-C:HDL-C ratio compared with those without CCAP (3.21 [2.50, 3.88] vs 2.33 [1.95, 2.97], p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed high LDL-C:HDL-C ratio as independent predictor of CCAP after adjusting for conventional cardiovascular risk factors. The top LDL-C:HDL-C ratio quartile (≥3.25) had an OR of 9.355 (95% CI 6.181 to 14.157) compared with the bottom quartile (<2.07) of LDL-C:HDL-C ratio (p<0.001) after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking, diabetes mellitus and serum level of total cholesterol. Conclusion CCAP is highly prevalent in Uygur obese adults. A high LDL-C:HDL-C ratio is an independent predictor of CCAP. It may help identify obese individuals who are at high risk of CCAP and who may benefit from intensive LDL-lowering therapy.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9 in a mouse model of atherosclerosis: Determination of the optimal expression time in vivo

Adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) has been identified as one of the optimal gene transduction carriers for gene therapy. The aim of the present study was to determine the gene transfection efficiency and safety of an AAV9 vector produced using a recombinant baculovirus (rBac)-based system. AAV9-cytomegalovirus (CMV)-green fluorescent protein was produced using an rBac system and the resulting vector particles were injected intravenously into mice. Animals were sacrificed at 14, 21, 28, 35, 60, 90 and 120 days following injection. GFP expression in aortic vasculature and aortic plaques in C57/6B and apolipoprotein E−/− mice was analyzed by fluorescence imaging and western blotting. In vivo analyses of biological markers of liver and heart damage, and renal function, as well as in vitro terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling analysis were used to determine the toxicity of the AAV9 carrier. The findings of the present study demonstrated that AAV9 viral vectors packaged using the rBac system functioned appropriately in arteriosclerosis plaques. The CMV promoter significantly induced GFP expression in the vascular plaque in a time-dependent manner. AAV9-CMV viral particles did not lead to heart, liver or renal damage and no change in apoptotic rate was identified. These findings indicated that AAV9-CMV may be effectively and safely used to transfect genes into atherosclerotic plaques.

Flotillin-2 Gene Is Associated with Coronary Artery Disease in Chinese Han Population.

BACKGROUND Flotillin-2, an important protein of vesicular endocytosis, is commonly used as a marker protein for lipid microdomains. It plays an essential role in cellular cholesterol uptake and biliary cholesterol reabsorption. Excessive cholesterol intake could cause dyslipidemia, which is a major risk factor of coronary artery disease (CAD). AIMS To investigate the association between the human flotillin-2 gene polymorphism and CAD in the Chinese Han population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs10205, rs3816848 and rs8081659) of the flotillin-2 gene were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 307 CAD patients and 441 control subjects. RESULTS The genotypic distribution of these three SNPs was significantly different between CAD patients and control subjects (all p < 0.05). There were significant differences in the plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC) among different genotypes in the CAD group and control group. For rs3816848, CAD patients with the GG genotype had a higher level of TC than those with an AG or AA genotype (p < 0.001). For rs8081659, CAD patients with TT genotype had a higher level of TC than those with a CT or CC genotype (p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the GG genotype of rs3816848 was an independent risk factor for CAD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.786; 95% CI = 1.099-2.902; p = 0.019). CONCLUSION There was a strong association between polymorphisms of flotillin-2 gene and CAD in the Chinese Han population. Persons with the GG genotype of rs3816848 may have a higher risk of CAD. Moreover, the plasma levels of TC were significantly different among the different genotypes of the rs3816848 and rs8081659 SNPs in the CAD group as well as the control group.