Increased serum visfatin level is associated with fat deposition of the lumbar spine in ankylosing spondylitis patients.

Objectives: To assess the serum visfatin levels in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as its correlation with fat deposition of the lumbar spine.

Methods: Serum visfatin levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 50 AS patients and 75 sex-and age-matched healthy controls. The clinical and laboratory indexes of AS patients were recorded, and the lumbar spine magnetic resonance scan was performed to evaluate the lumbar spine fat deposition in AS patients.

Impact of short-term exposure to ambient air pollution on osteoarthritis: a multi-city time-series analysis in Central-Eastern China.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a threat to public health issue with high morbidity and disability worldwide. However, unequivocal evidence on the link between air pollution and OA remains little, especially in multi-study sites. This study aimed to explore the relationship between short-term exposure to main air pollutants and the risk of OA outpatient visits in multi-study sites.

Massive Open Online Courses Combined with Flipped Classroom: An Approach to Promote Training of Resident Physicians in Rheumatology.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in combination with flipped classroom teaching in the standard training of resident physicians (resident physician trainees).

Methods: A total of 110 resident physician trainees enrolled in 2018, with a major in Internal Medicine, were selected and divided into a control group (n = 55) who experienced traditional teaching methods and an experimental group (n = 55) who experienced MOOCs plus flipped classroom teaching. Their post-class test scores and satisfaction questionnaires were compared.

Using internet search data to explore the global public concerns in ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: This study explored the changes of global public interest in internet search of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) based on Google Trends (GT) data, in order to reflect the characteristics of AS itself.

Methods: GT was used to obtain the search popularity scores of the term 'AS' on a global scale, between January 2004 and December 2018, under the 'health' classification. Based on the global search data of AS provided by GT, the cosinor analysis was used to test whether there was seasonality in AS.

Clinical and serological associations of anti-ribosomal P0 protein antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical and serological associations of anti-ribosomal P0 protein antibodies (anti-Rib-P0) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The sera of 470 patients with SLE and 124 patients with primary Sjogren's Syndrome (pSS) were collected. Line immunoassay (LIA) was used to detect anti-Rib-P0 and other related antibodies.

Plasma/Serum Leptin Levels in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Leptin is an adipokine that has several effects on metabolism and immune system in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The present investigations of the relationship between plasma/serum leptin levels and AS are contradictory. To derive a more precise estimation on the plasma/serum leptin levels in AS patients and related factors, a meta-analysis was performed.

[The expression and clinical significance of IL-17AR on peripheral blood B cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].

Aim: To investigate the expressions of Interleukin-17A receptor (IL-17AR) on the peripheral blood B lymphocytes of SLE patients and to analyze the correlations between IL-17AR and clinical parameters.

Methods: Expression of IL-17AR on peripheral blood CD19(+);B lymphocytes were analyzed in 60 SLE patients and 33 healthy controls by flow cytometry. The difference of IL-17AR expression levels in two groups were compared.

Genetic analysis for F1 yield traits with conditional approach in island cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.).

A genetic model with additive, dominance and genotype x environment interaction effect was employed to analyze the 3-year data of F(1) hybrids from 5 x 4 diallel cross, whose parents were Island cotton and had different fruit branch types. Unconditional and conditional genetic variances were conducted for analyze genetic impacts of yield components on yield. Results of unconditional genetic variances showed that there were no additive variance of total lint yield.