Journal of internal medicine
-
Review Historical Article
The Chinese National Twin Registry: a 'gold mine' for scientific research.
The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) currently includes data from 61 566 twin pair from 11 provinces or cities in China. Of these, 31 705, 15 060 and 13 531 pairs are monozygotic, same-sex dizygotic and opposite-sex dizygotic pairs, respectively, determined by opposite sex or intrapair similarity. Since its establishment in 2001, the CNTR has provided an important resource for analysing genetic and environmental influences on chronic diseases especially cardiovascular diseases. ⋯ There remains further scope for CNTR research and data mining. The plan for future development of the CNTR is described. The CNTR welcomes worldwide collaboration.
-
Multicenter Study
Predictive value of low testosterone concentrations regarding coronary heart disease and mortality in men and women - evidence from the FINRISK97 study.
The relevance of low testosterone concentrations for incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality has been discussed in various studies. Here, we evaluate the predictive value of low baseline testosterone levels in a large population-based cohort. ⋯ Low levels of testosterone are not predictive regarding future CHD or mortality - neither in men, nor in women.
-
The host evolves redundant mechanisms to preserve physiological processing and homeostasis. These functions range from sensing internal and external threats, creating a memory of the insult and generating reflexes, which aim to resolve inflammation. Impairment in such functioning leads to chronic inflammatory diseases. ⋯ However, the modalities detected by nociceptors revealed broader than mechanical pressure and temperature sensing and include signals as various as cytokines and pathogens to immunoglobulins and even microRNAs. Along these lines, we aggregated various dorsal root ganglion sensory neuron expression profiling datasets supporting such wide-ranging sensing capabilities to help identifying new danger detection modalities of these cells. Thus, revealing unexpected aspects of nociceptor neuron biology might prompt the identification of novel drivers of immunity, means to resolve inflammation and strategies to safeguard homeostasis.
-
Excessive chronic inflammation is linked to many diseases and considered a stress factor in humans (Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia: W. B. ⋯ Electrical stimulation of human vagus in vitro reduces both prostaglandins and leukotrienes and enhances resolvins and the other SPM. These results elucidate a host protective mechanism mediated by vagus stimulation of SPM that includes resolvins and PCTR1 to regulate myeloid antimicrobial functions and resolution of infection. Moreover, they define a new pro-resolution of inflammation reflex operative in mice and human tissue that involves a vagus SPM circuit.
-
Observational Study
Circulating microRNAs in suspected stable coronary artery disease: A coronary computed tomography angiography study.
To explore the diagnostic performance of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers in patients with suspected stable coronary artery disease (CAD). ⋯ This study identifies a group of circulating miRNAs that failed to improve the discrimination capacity of cardiovascular risk factors but that has the potential to define specific subpopulations of patients with suspected stable CAD.