Incidence and risk factors of tuberculosis among the elderly population in China: a prospective cohort study.

Background: China is facing challenges of the shifting presentation of tuberculosis (TB) from younger to elderly due to an ageing population, longer life expectancy and reactivation disease. However, the burden of elderly TB and influence factors are not yet clear. To fill the gap, we generated a cohort study to measure the magnitude of TB incidence and associated factors among the elderly population aged 65 years and above in China.

The NLRP3 inflammasome and stroke.

Inflammasome pattern recognition receptors, which belong to the family of multi-meric proteins, play an important role in innate immunity, including NLRPs, NLRC, and NAIP. Among these receptors, NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3) inflammasome may activate the inflammation and participate in atherosclerosis, pathophysiology of myocardial infarction, resultin ischemia/reperfusion injury and stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Effective regulation of NLRP3 may help prevent or even treat stroke.

[The incidence discriminant model for close contacts of active tuberculosis patients].

Objective: To establish a discriminant model and to provide a relatively accurate scientific basis for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and detection of the close contacts.

Methods: Through logistic regression analysis, key factors were selected according to Bayes theory and key factors of TB incidence of the close contacts were screened as well as a discriminant model was established.

Results: The non-TB incidence discriminant function of the close contacts was described as: Y1= -39.

[Logistic analysis on risk factors related to smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis].

Objective: To explore the risk factors on relapsing tuberculosis related to smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis which had been cured for five years.

Methods: Patients with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis registered in 1995 from ten countries in Hubei province were studied and logistic regression was used for data analysis.

Results: The 5-year relapse rate of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis was 3.