Yonghua Jiang

Elevated serum complement factors 3 and 4 are strong inflammatory markers of the metabolic syndrome development: a longitudinal cohort study

An epidemiological design, consisting of cross-sectional (n = 2376) and cohort (n = 976) studies, was adopted to investigate the association between complement factors 3 (C3) and 4, and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) development. In the cross-sectional study, the C3 and C4 concentrations in the MetS group were higher than those in the non-MetS group (all P < 0.001), and the levels of immune globulin M (IgM), IgA, IgE, and IgG exhibited no significant differences between MetS and non-MetS (all P > 0.050). After multi-factor adjustment, the odds ratios (ORs) in the highest quartile of C3 and C4 concentrations were 7.047 (4.664, 10.648) and 1.961 (1.349, 2.849), respectively, both Ptrend < 0.050. After a 4 years follow-up, total 166 subjects were diagnosed with MetS, and the complement baseline levels from 2009 were used to predict the MetS risk in 2013. In the adjusted model, the relative risks (RRs) in the highest quartile of C3 and C4 levels were 4.779 (2.854, 8.003) and 2.590 (1.567, 4.280), respectively, both Ptrend < 0.001. Activation of complement factors may be an important part of inflammatory processes, and our results indicated that the elevated C3 and C4 levels were independent risk factors for MetS development.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum uric acid and metabolic syndrome: Results from Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination Survey in China.

BACKGROUND It is controversial whether serum uric acid (SUA) is a risk factor for the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The current study was designed to highlight the association of SUA and MetS and its components. METHODS Data on 3675 healthy male subjects, aged 17-88 years, were collected for the cross-sectional study. A representative sample of 2575 individuals who did not suffer from MetS at baseline was involved in the cohort study. A cox regression model was applied to evaluate causality for the 2- and 4-year large scale longitudinal study. RESULTS In the cross-sectional analysis, SUA showed a statistically significant negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and a positive correlation with blood pressure (BP), triglycerides (TG), waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI) (all P<0.001). In longitudinal analysis, examining the risk of developing MetS, SUA concentrations (hazard ratios comparing fourth quartile to the first quartile of 1.75; 95% CI, 1.26-2.41) were positively associated with incident MetS after adjusted for age, blood pressure, glucose, TG, HDL-c, smoking, alcohol drinking and education. CONCLUSION SUA is positively correlated with the prevalence of MetS. Increased SUA concentration may be an independent risk factor for MetS.

Low osteocalcin level is a risk factor for impaired glucose metabolism in a Chinese male population.

This study was to assess the association between serum osteocalcin level and glucose metabolism in a Chinese male population.

Sex Hormones Predict the Incidence of Erectile Dysfunction: From a Population‐Based Prospective Cohort Study (FAMHES)

INTRODUCTION The decline of testosterone has been known to be associated with the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED), but the causal relationship between sex hormones and ED is still uncertain. AIM To prove the association between sex hormones and ED, we carried out a prospective cohort study based on our previous cross-sectional study. METHODS We performed a prospective cohort study of 733 Chinese men who participated in Fangchenggang Area Males Health and Examination Survey from September 2009 to December 2009 and were followed for 4 years. Erectile function was estimated by scores of the five-item International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF-5) and relative ratios (RRs) were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Data were collected at follow-up visit and included sex hormone measurements, IIEF-5 scores, physical examination, and health questionnaires. RESULTS Men with the highest tertile of free testosterone (FT) (RR = 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.09-0.46) and the lowest tertile of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (RR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19-0.73) had decreased risk of ED. In young men (aged 21-40), a decreased risk was observed with the increase of FT and bioavailable testosterone (BT) (adjusted RR and 95% CI: 0.78 [0.67-0.92] and 0.75 [0.62-0.95], respectively). Total testosterone (TT) (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.98) was inversely associated with ED after adjusting for SHBG, while SHBG (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06) remained positively associated with ED after further adjusting for TT. Men with both low FT and high SHBG had highest ED risk (adjusted RR = 4.61, 95% CI: 1.33-16.0). CONCLUSIONS High FT and BT levels independently predicted a decreased risk of ED in young men. Further studies are urgently needed to clarify the molecular mechanisms of testosterone acting on ED.

Low Serum Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Associated with Insulin Resistance in Men with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a strong risk predictor for type 2 diabetes (T2D). A reduction in sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is associated with NAFLD. Low SHBG is also associated with insulin resistance (IR). However, very limited data are available for the association of SHBG and IR in patients with NAFLD. The study aims to clarify the association between SHBG and IR in patients with NAFLD. In this cross-sectional study, 334 men with NAFLD were recruited. SHBG, total testosterone, free testosterone, total cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and glucose concentrations were measured. Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-IR and HOMA-β were calculated. Spearmans correlations and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the association between SHBG and IR. Men with moderate-severe NAFLD had higher waist circumference, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, and free testosterone, but lower SHBG than the mild NAFLD. The moderate-severe NAFLD group exhibited higher HOMA-IR (2.38±1.35 vs. 4.16±2.84, p<0.001) and lower SHBG (25.89±11.89 vs. 30.13±12.97 nmol/l, p<0.001) than the other group. SHBG value was negatively correlated with insulin, and HOMA-IR, but was not significantly correlated with glucose and testosterone. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that SHBG was significantly associated with insulin (β=- 0.241, p<0.001), and HOMA-IR (β=- 0.229, p<0.001), even adjusting for potential confounders. In conclusion, low serum SHBG is associated with IR in men with NAFLD.

Serum Osteocalcin Is Associated with Inflammatory Factors in Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-Based Study in Chinese Males.

Osteocalcin (OCN) was potentially associated with inflammatory factors, so we explored the metabolic role in this association in general population. Our findings suggest that OCN was positively associated with IgG while inversely associated with C3, both of which were probably mediated by obesity. Moreover, serum OCN was inversely associated with hsCRP in men with impaired fasting glucose, hyperglycemia, or metabolic syndrome, while its association with IgE was significantly observed in men with a normal metabolic profile.

16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals altered composition of gut microbiota in individuals with kidney stones

Nephrolithiasis is a common urological disease with high prevalence and recurrence rates. Characterizing gut microbiome profiles of nephrolithiasis patients may provide valuable insights and potential biomarkers for the disease. Therefore, we explored the relation between gut microbiome and nephrolithiasis using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. 13 patients with multiple kidney stones and 13 matched healthy controls were recruited. A decreasing trend in number of observed species in nephrolithiasis patients was detected, although statistical significance was not reached (p = 0.086). The inter-group variability in community structure by beta diversity analysis showed a clear separation between nephrolithiasis patients and healthy controls. Twenty genera differentiated significantly in relative abundance between nephrolithiasis patients and healthy controls (all p < 0.05). Among the 20 genera, Phascolarctobacterium, Parasutterella, Ruminiclostridium_5, Erysipelatoclostridium, Fusicatenibacter and Dorea were correlated with the concentration of the trace elements in blood, including potassium, sodium, calcium and chlorinum. Characteristic microbiome in nephrolithiasis patients was also identified by linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe). These findings may provide novel and non-invasive potential diagnostic biomarkers for nephrolithiasis, and contribute to prevention and treatment of nephrolithiasis from the perspective of maintaining micro-ecological equilibrium in gut.

Comparative analyses of fecal microbiota in Chinese isolated Yao population, minority Zhuang and rural Han by 16sRNA sequencing

The gut microbiome in humans is associated with geography, diet, lifestyles and so on, but its relationship with some isolated populations is not clear. We used the 16sRNA technique to sequence the fecal microbiome in the Chinese isolated Yao population and compared it with the major minority Zhuang and the major ethnic Han populations living in the same rural area. Information about diet frequency and health status and routine serum measurements were collected. The unweighted UniFrac principal coordinates analysis showed significant structural differences in fecal microbiota among the three ethnic groups. Statistically significant differences were observed in the community richness estimator (chaos) and the diversity estimator (Shannon) among the three groups. At the genus level, the fecal samples of the isolated Yao population presented the lowest relative abundance of the Megamonas genus, which was potentially related to the high frequency of bean consumption in the diet. Two enterotypes were identified in the overall fecal microbiota in the three populations. In the isolated Yao population, a higher Bacteroides abundance was observed, but the Prevotella abundance decreased with increased alcohol consumption.

The associations between maternal lifestyles and antenatal stress and anxiety in Chinese pregnant women: A cross-sectional study

The study aimed to investigate the associations between maternal lifestyles and antenatal stress and anxiety. 1491 pregnant women were drawn from the Guangxi birth cohort study (GBCS). A base line questionnaire was used to collect demographic information and maternal lifestyles. The Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale (PSRS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were used to assess prenatal stress and anxiety, respectively. Regression analyses identified the relationship between maternal lifestyles and prenatal stress and anxiety: (1) Hours of phone use per day was positively correlated to prenatal stress and anxiety and increased with stress and anxiety levels (all P trend < 0.05). In addition, not having baby at home was positively correlated to prenatal stress. (2) Self-reported sleep quality was negative with prenatal stress and anxiety, and decreased with stress and anxiety levels (all P trend < 0.01). Moreover, not frequent cooking was negatively correlated to prenatal stress and having pets was negatively correlated to prenatal anxiety (P < 0.05). However, having pets was not correlated to prenatal stress (P > 0.05). Our results showed that adverse lifestyles increase the risk of antenatal stress and anxiety, a regular routine and a variety of enjoyable activities decreases the risk of prenatal stress and anxiety.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum testosterone concentrations and hypertension: Results from the Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination Survey in China

BACKGROUND Low testosterone concentrations have been suggested as a risk factor for hypertension, but their contribution to the development of hypertension is not well studied. We carried out a cohort study based on the results of an earlier cross-sectional investigation. We established the association between testosterone concentrations and hypertension. METHOD Data on 2427 healthy male subjects, aged from 17 to 88 y, were collected for the cross-sectional study. A representative sample of 853 individuals who did not suffer from hypertension at baseline was followed up for 4 y. Differences between the tertiles groups of sex hormones were analyzed, relative risks (RR) were estimated using binary logistic regression model. RESULTS In the cross-sectional analysis, the serum total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and bioavailable testosterone (BT) concentrations of the hypertensive population were lower than those of the non-hypertensive population. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that TT, BT, and FT were inversely associated with hypertension. Moreover, decreasing odds ratio (OR) was observed from the lowest tertile group to the highest tertile group. After multivariate adjustment, the correlation between FT, BT, and hypertension was attenuated. Statistically significant differences remained only in the middle tertile group of TT and in the highest tertile group of TT, FT, and BT. In the longitudinal analysis, the 4-y incidence of hypertension was higher in participants with lower TT than in those with higher TT. Subjects in the middle and highest tertile groups of TT had an RR of 0.35 (0.22-0.57) and 0.30 (0.18-0.50), respectively (P for trend <0.001). After further adjustments, these associations still remained statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Serum TT, FT, and BT concentrations were inversely associated with blood pressure in man, and TT independent of age and body mass index (BMI) influences the development of hypertension. Furthermore, TT can be employed as a risk marker for hypertension in the identification of high-risk individuals.