Publications by authors named "Kong Xiufang"
Objectives: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated hemoglobin A (HbA), and 2-hour post-load plasma glucose (2h PG) are all currently used to define prediabetes. We aimed to determine whether a higher number of prediabetes defects corresponds to an increased all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.
Methods: Individuals with prediabetes and available information on FPG, HbA, 2h PG, and mortality data were derived from the 2005 - 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Background: Increasing studies have indicated that insulin resistance is a risk factor for the development of depression. The lipid accumulation product (LAP) has emerged as a novel biomarker of insulin resistance. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between LAP and the risk of depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPredictors of irreversible renal dysfunction in patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis.
Rheumatology (Oxford)
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (iRPF) and its potential to cause permanent kidney damage, aiming to identify predictors of irreversible renal dysfunction in affected patients.
- It involved 83 patients from a hospital, with data collected through follow-ups and analyses using various statistical methods to determine risk factors.
- The researchers developed a prognostic score based on specific health indicators that effectively predicted irreversible renal dysfunction with high sensitivity and specificity across training and validation patient groups.
Article Synopsis
- This study examines the epidemiology of Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) in a specific population in Shanghai, China, over a decade.
- Data were collected from 38 hospitals, revealing a 10-year prevalence of 11.72 cases per million for TAK and 2.73 cases per 100,000 for GCA, with the highest incidences found in younger age groups for TAK.
- The findings indicate that TAK is more common in Asia compared to other regions, while GCA has higher rates in Europe, contributing valuable insights into these conditions' global distribution.
Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common comorbidity in psoriasis. However, the associations between MetS, psoriasis and mortality remain largely unclear.
Objectives: To investigate the synergistic effect of MetS and psoriasis on total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a representative sample of US adults.
Background: Vascular fibrosis directly causes vascular thickening in Takayasu arteritis (TAK), in which sustained transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) activation is critical. Understanding TGF-β activation regulation and blocking it might yield a therapeutic effect in TAK. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 5 (PCSK5) rs6560480 (T/C) is associated with TAK development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the association between the oxidative balance score, and dyslipidemia, as well as to assess the mortality risk associated with oxidative balance score in patients with dyslipidemia.
Methods: We performed a mortality follow-up study of a cross-sectional cohort of 26,118 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018.
Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hearing loss (HL). Dietary intake is a modifiable factor that could influence the oxidant and antioxidant capacity. We hypothesized that a higher composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) is associated with a reduced odds for HL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), a noninvasive and convenient measure of insulin resistance, has been demonstrated to be associated with mortality in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We aimed to explore whether eGDR is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality in prediabetic adults.
Methods: A nationwide population-based cohort of prediabetic individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018 with available data on eGDR was included and categorized into eGDR ≥ 8 (reference), 6-7.
Background: Oxidative stress has previously been shown to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC).
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of United States adults using data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Objectives: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been found to have a higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden. We aimed to examine the associations between Life's Essential 8 (LE8), a metric of cardiovascular health (CVH) recently proposed by the American Heart Association, and all-cause and CVD mortality in RA patients.
Methods: This prospective cohort study analysed RA patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2018 with linked mortality data through December 31, 2019.
Objective: To identify novel biomarkers for diagnosis and prediction of active eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) through data-independent acquisition (DIA) analysis.
Methods: Plasma from 11 EGPA patients and 10 healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed through DIA to identify potential biomarkers. The results were validated in 32 EGPA patients, 24 disease controls (DCs), and 20 HCs using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to analyze how COVID-19 affects patients with Takayasu's arteritis (TAK), particularly focusing on infection rates and symptoms among this population compared to their co-residents in China.
- - Results showed that TAK patients had a lower infection rate (79.13% vs 90.67%) but experienced more gastrointestinal issues, sleep problems, and multi-organ symptoms post-infection, with a notable percentage suffering from post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).
- - Despite experiencing more symptoms, TAK patients did not have severe outcomes from COVID-19, and infection did not significantly increase the risk of disease relapse; however, those on csDMARDs treatment might be more susceptible
Article Synopsis
- Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) is a rare blood vessel inflammation that can lead to serious health issues, and this study aims to explore its research landscape and future directions through a bibliometric analysis.
- The analysis reviewed 2,215 articles from over 9,000 scholars across 83 countries, with the US being the major contributor, and identified key areas of focus such as anti-endothelial cell antibodies and cytokines.
- The study emphasizes the need for stronger collaborations among researchers and institutions to enhance TAK research and suggests future studies should focus on disease activity evaluation and clinical trials.
Objective: To investigate the pathogenic role and underlying mechanisms of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).
Methods: RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was applied to screen the expression profile of lncRNAs in peripheral leukocytes from five AAV patients and five healthy controls (HC). Candidate lncRNAs were preliminarily verified in peripheral leukocytes from 46 AAV patients and 35 HC by qRT-PCR.
Significance: Understanding the optical transmission property of human hair, especially in the infrared regime, is vital in physical, clinical, and biomedical research. However, the majority of infrared spectroscopy on human hair is performed in the reflection mode, which only probes the absorptance of the surface layer.
Aim: The direct transmission spectrum of individual hair without horizontal cut offers a rapid and non-destructive test of the hair cortex but is less investigated experimentally due to the small size and strong absorption of the hair.
Objectives: To determine the role of plateletcrit as a potential biomarker for disease activity and treatment response in Takayasu arteritis (TAK).
Methods: Totally, 215 newly diagnosed TAK patients were consecutively enrolled. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging examinations, and treatment strategy were recorded at baseline and at each visit during the 6-month treatment period.
Article Synopsis
- - Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a complex condition with no reliable biomarkers, prompting a study on associated factor panels and their response to biologic treatments.
- - Five distinct factor panels were identified: systemic inflammation, vascular inflammation, immune regulation, angiogenesis and fibrosis, and vascular remodeling, with key insights into how they relate to disease activity and ischemic cases.
- - Following treatment, tocilizumab effectively reduced several inflammatory markers, while adalimumab increased levels of specific factors, providing new insights for more targeted future therapies in TAK.
Abnormal B cell differentiation plays a critical role in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. We investigated the cell landscape from three IgG4-RD retroperitoneal tissues and three control tissues using single-cell RNA-sequencing. Critical cell type or markers were further validated in the peripheral blood from the patients with IgG4-RD and healthy controls via flow cytometry as well as in the IgG4-RD and control tissue via immunofluorescence staining.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study compared the effectiveness and safety of two treatments, adalimumab (ADA) and tocilizumab (TCZ), in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) over 12 months.
- Results showed that at 6 months, a higher percentage of patients in the ADA group experienced treatment success (85.71%) compared to the TCZ group (52.63%).
- Both treatments had similar rates of relapse and side effects during the trial, but ADA may be a more effective option for severe TAK.
Comparison of the efficacy and safety of leflunomide versus placebo combined with basic prednisone therapy in patients with active disease phase of Takayasu arteritis: study protocol for a randomized, double-blinded controlled trial (Takayasu arteritis clinical trial in China: TACTIC).
Ther Adv Chronic Dis
March 2023
Background: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is an immune-induced granulomatous vasculitis that occurs primarily in young Asian women. Our previous cohort studies have indicated that leflunomide (LEF), which can lead to rapid induction and might be a promising alternative treatment for TAK.
Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of LEF placebo combined with prednisone for active TAK in a Chinese population.