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BACKGROUND: Experimental studies have shown that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) including haloacetic acids (HAAs) can cause liver toxicity, but evidence linking this association in humans is sparse. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the associations between HAA exposures and liver injury. METHODS: We included 922 women between December 2018 and January 2020 from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) cohort study in Wuhan, China. Urinary HAA concentrations including trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and serum indicators of liver function, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were measured. Liver injury was defined as if any of serum indicator levels were above the 90th percentile. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were fitted to assess the associations of urinary HAA concentrations with the risk of liver injury and liver function indicators. Stratified analyses by age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, and passive smoking were also applied to evaluate the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: There is little evidence of associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with liver injury risk and liver function indicators. However, urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with a higher risk of liver injury [odds ratios (OR) for 1-interquartile range (IQR) increase in natural log (ln) transformed DCAA concentrations: 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.98]. This association was observed only among nondrinkers (푝interaction =0.058). We also found that a 1-IQR increase in ln-transformed DCAA concentrations was positively associated with ALT levels (percentage change =6.06%; 95% CI: 0.48%, 11.95%) and negatively associated with AST/ALT (percentage change= -4.48%; 95% CI: -7.80%, -1.04%). In addition, urinary DCAA concentrations in relation to higher GGT levels was observed only among passive smokers (푝interaction =0.040). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exposure to DCAA but not TCAA is associated with liver injury among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies show that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can inhibit oocyte maturation, decrease fertilization capacity, and impair embryo development, but human evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between exposure to drinking water DBPs and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. METHODS: The study included 1,048 women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment between December 2018 and January 2020 from a prospective cohort study, the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental study in Wuhan, China. Exposure to DBPs was assessed by dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in up to four urine samples, which were collected on the day of both enrollment and oocyte retrieval. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman, were applied to evaluate the associations between urinary biomarkers of DBP exposures and IVF outcomes. Stratified analyses were used to explore the potential effect modifiers. RESULTS: The included 1,048 women underwent 1,136 IVF cycles, with 960 (91.6%), 84 (8.0%), and 4 (0.4%) women contributing one cycle, two cycles, and three cycles, respectively. We found that elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA and TCAA concentrations were associated with reduced numbers of total oocytes and metaphase II oocytes and that urinary DCAA concentrations with a lower proportion of best-quality embryos (all 푝 for trends<0.05). Moreover, elevated quartiles of urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with decreased proportions of successful implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth (14%, 15%, and 15% decreases in adjusted means comparing the extreme quartiles, respectively; all 푝 for trends<0.05). Stratification analyses showed that the inverse associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with multiple IVF outcomes were stronger among women ≥30 y of age (푝 for interactions<0.05). DISCUSSION: Exposure to drinking water DBPs was inversely associated with some IVF outcomes among women undergoing ART treatment. Further study is necessary to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Metabolomic signatures of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Tibetan Chinese population, a group with high diabetes burden, remain largely unclear. Identifying the serum metabolite profile of Tibetan T2DM (T-T2DM) individuals may provide novel insights into early T2DM diagnosis and intervention. Methods: Hence, we conducted untargeted metabolomics analysis of plasma samples from a retrospective cohort study with 100 healthy controls and 100 T-T2DM patients by using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: The T-T2DM group had significant metabolic alterations that are distinct from known diabetes risk indicators, such as body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. The optimal metabolite panels for predicting T-T2DM were selected using a tenfold cross-validation random forest classification model. Compared with the clinical features, the metabolite prediction model provided a better predictive value. We also analyzed the correlation of metabolites with clinical indices and found 10 metabolites that were independently predictive of T-T2DM. Conclusion: By using the metabolites identified in this study, we may provide stable and accurate biomarkers for early T-T2DM warning and diagnosis. Our study also provides a rich and open-access data resource for optimizing T-T2DM management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of macrosomia and LGA (large for gestational age) in non-GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) pregnant women in Fuyang, Anhui Province of China.Methods: A large population-based cohort study was conducted among non-GDM pregnant women aged 18-45 years. Maternal sociodemographic data prior to pregnancy were collected using interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire. Maternal obstetrical delivery records and newborn hospital records were extracted from antenatal care booklets and hospital discharge abstracts. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of macrosomia and LGA.Results: The incidence of macrosomia and LGA was 9.2 and 15.9%, respectively. Mothers ≥35 years of age (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.98, 3.80), male neonates (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.51, 1.89), overweight and obese (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.34, 1.92 and aOR 3.05, 95% CI 2.05, 4.56, respectively) were associated with increased risk of macrosomia. Compared with the less educated mothers, the educated mothers were more likely to have increased risk of macrosomia. IFA (iron and folic acid) supplements intake during pregnancy was more likely to deliver macrosomia or LGA (aOR1.32, 95% CI 1.08, 1.49 and aOR1.42, 95% CI 1.24, 1.61, respectively) as compared with no IFA supplements intake. SCr (serum creatinine concentration) >80 µmol/L was related to decreased risk of macrosomia (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61, 0.86) and LGA (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59, 0.77) as compared with normal range (44-80 µmol/L).Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of macrosomia and LGA in non-GDM pregnant women in China. Healthcare educations and reasonable body weight are necessary for pregnant women to prevent macrosomia and LGA. Pregnant women should be checked regularly and have the first prenatal visit as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to establish an effective prognostic nomogram with or without plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (EBV DNA) for nondisseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods: The nomogram was based on a retrospective study of 4630 patients who underwent radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from 2007 to 2009. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined by a concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve and were compared with EBV DNA and the current staging system. The results were validated using bootstrap resampling and a prospective cohort study on 1819 patients consecutively enrolled from 2011 to 2012 at the same institution. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: Independent factors derived from multivariable analysis of the primary cohort to predict recurrence were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), T stage, N stage, plasma EBV DNA, pretreatment high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and hemoglobin level (HGB), which were all assembled into the nomogram with (nomogram B) or without EBV DNA (nomogram A). The calibration curve for the probability of recurrence showed that the nomogram-based predictions were in good agreement with actual observations. The C-index of nomogram B for predicting recurrence was 0.728 (P < .001), which was statistically higher than the C-index values for nomogram A (0.690), EBV DNA (0.680), and the current staging system (0.609). The C-index of nomogram B (0.730) and nomogram A (0.681) remained higher for predicting recurrence among patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (P < .001). The results were confirmed in the validation cohort.Conclusions: The proposed nomogram with or without plasma EBV DNA resulted in more accurate prognostic prediction for NPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Previous studies have obtained conflicting findings regarding the possible associations between glycemic load (GL) indices and diabetes. In the present study, we examined cross-sectional associations between several GL indices, including the total dietary GL, the energy-adjusted GL, and the prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism, including prediabetes and diabetes.Methods and Study Design: This study was conducted in Guangzhou, China from July 2011 to December 2011. It included 2,022 participants (602 men and 1,420 women), between 45 and 75 years of age. The prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism was compared across the quartiles of GL indices to discover any potential linear correlations. Stratified analysis was conducted according to the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements.Results: Energy-adjusted GL was positively associated with the prevalence of diabetes and the multivariable-adjusted estimate of the OR comparing the highest versus the lowest quartile was 2.50 (95% CI, 1.49-4.19). For the stratified analysis by sex, BMI or WC, similar associations were observed. For the overweight and obese (BMI ≥24.0 kg/m2) or centrally obese (WC ≥85 cm for men or ≥80 cm for women) participants, compared to participants in the lowest quartile of energy-adjusted GL, those in the highest quartile showed an increased risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. The OR estimates were 2.25 (95% CI: 1.45-3.52) and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.06-2.25), respectively.Conclusions: High dietary energy-adjusted GL is associated with the prevalence of diabetes as well as abnormal glucose metabolism among middle-aged and elderly adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]