Retinol-binding protein 4 as a promising serum biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is universally poor. Early diagnosis plays a pivotal role in determining the outcome of HCC.

Methods: We employed a comparative proteomics approach to identify potential biomarkers and validated the application of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) as a biomarker for HCC.

Assessing social cognition in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls using the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET): a systematic review and meta-regression.

The reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) - which assesses the theory of mind component of social cognition - is often used to compare social cognition between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. There is, however, no systematic review integrating the results of these studies. We identified 198 studies published before July 2020 that administered RMET to patients with schizophrenia or healthy controls from three English-language and two Chinese-language databases.

Metabolic profiling reveals the heterogeneity of vascular endothelial function phenotypes in individuals at extreme cardiovascular risk.

Maladapted vascular endothelial metabolism in the context of endothelial function differing in phenotype remains unknown, which limits our understanding of the heterogeneous pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to profile serum metabolic alterations of different vascular endothelial function phenotypes in asymptomatic adults at extreme cardiovascular risk. In addition to 12 CVD patients, 103 individuals free of CVD were categorized as having normal endothelial function (NEF) ( = 30), cardiovascular risk-promoting endothelial function (PEF) ( = 18), cardiovascular risk-resistant endothelial function (REF) ( = 25), and vulnerable endothelial function (VEF) ( = 30).

Association of Impaired Vascular Endothelial Function with Increased Cardiovascular Risk in Asymptomatic Adults.

Impaired vascular endothelial function has attracted attention as a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular prevention. The association between impaired endothelial function and cardiovascular risk in the asymptomatic population, however, has been poorly explored. We evaluated the association of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) with Framingham-estimated 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in subjects free of CVD, especially by cardiovascular risk profiles.

Adiposity and Serum Selenium in U.S. Adults.

Requirements for selenium and other antioxidant nutrients are increased in pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory conditions such as excess adiposity. Data concerning the association of excess general and central adiposity with circulating selenium concentrations, however, are limited. We examined the cross-sectional associations of body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (%BF), and waist circumference (WC) with serum selenium concentrations in 6440 men and 6849 women aged ≥20 years who participated in the U.

Metabolic Profiling in Association with Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction Following Non-Toxic Cadmium Exposure.

This study aimed to determine the metabolic profile of non-toxic cadmium (Cd)-induced dysfunctional endothelial cells using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs ( = 6 per group) were treated with 0, 1, 5, or 10 μM cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) for 48 h. Cell phenotypes, including nitric oxide (NO) production, the inflammatory response, and oxidative stress, were evaluated in Cd-exposed and control HUVECs.

Mental Health Status and Coping Behaviors of the Guangxi Baiku Yao Population in Response to Life Events.

BACKGROUND Ethnic minorities present specific mental health characteristics that are based on their unique cultural background. We aimed to investigate the mental health status and coping behaviors in the Guangxi Baiku Yao population, an ethnic minority in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 121 Baiku Yao, 149 Zhuang, and 141 Han from Nandan Guangxi were enrolled in a survey using stratified random cluster sampling.

Arsenic Exposure and Predicted 10-Year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk Using the Pooled Cohort Equations in U.S. Hypertensive Adults.

This study was to evaluate the association of urine arsenic with predicted 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in U.S. adults with hypertension.

Taurine Attenuates Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced Breast Tumorigenesis in Rats: A Plasma Metabolomic Study.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Taurine, the most abundant free amino acid, plays a role in several biological processes in humans and has been shown to have activity against breast cancer and other tumors. To investigate the role and mechanism of taurine action in breast cancer, we used dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast carcinogenesis in rats as a model of breast cancer.

Interaction of body mass index and hemoglobin concentration on blood pressure among pregnant women in Guangxi, China.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin (Hb) are positively associated with hypertensive disorders among pregnant women. The aim of this study was to estimate a potential interaction between high BMI and high Hb concentrations on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in pregnancy.

Methods: We recruited 4497 single-birth women aged 18-43 years who received routine antenatal care at three hospitals of Guigang, Guangxi, China, from December 2007 to January 2011.

Polymorphisms in heat-shock protein 70 genes are associated with coal workers' pneumoconiosis in southwestern China.

Background: Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) protect cells and tissues against different types of damage. This study investigated the relationship between the genetic variation in constitutive and inducible HSP70 genes and the risk for coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) among miners in southwestern China.

Patients And Methods: A job exposure matrix (JEM) was used to estimate the dust exposure level of individuals.