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This study aimed to investigate the long-term serum metal ion levels of patients who received metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty (MoM HRA). We conducted a retrospective study of 99 patients (110 hips) from March 2006 to May 2017 who underwent MoM HRA. The Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score were measured, and the patients underwent clinical and radiological management. Serum levels of cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), and molybdenum (Mo) were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) at 1, 6, and 12 months, and each year follow-up after prosthesis implantation. Patients were followed up from 1 to 156 months, with a mean of 98 months. No complications occurred. Metal ion analysis revealed significantly elevated levels compared to preoperative levels. The metal ions levels increased and reached a peak after surgery, and then the levels began to decline gradually. Approximately 84-108 months after surgery, the metal ion levels increased again to approximately peak levels. Then, up to 156 months after surgery, the metal ions levels will drop approximately to preoperative levels. The serum levels of Cr in women were higher than those in men, with the difference being statistically significant. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥24.9 kg/m2 Co levels were significantly higher than those of normal-weight patients. The serum levels of metal ions showed no significant differences between the prostheses. The use of the MoM HRA was clinically effective, and the Co, Cr, and Mo levels increased significantly after HRA; however, upon long-term follow-up, serum metal ion levels tended to decrease to preoperative levels. Longer follow-up periods and larger study samples are needed to establish the long-term outcome of patients undergoing HRA with MoM bearings. Level IV, Therapeutic Study.

Objectives: Although environmental exposure to multiple metals is common, epidemiological studies on the associations of exposure to 23 metals with kidney function have not been analyzed. We aimed to investigate the associations of 23 metals levels with renal function., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in four rural regions of Hunan province. Plasma and urine metals levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Two-level logistic regression was used to investigate the associations of metals levels with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with adjustment for confounding factors. We conducted a sensitivity analysis of the results using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation., Results: A total of 3553 participants completed the investigation. Five metals (plasma arsenic and molybdenum; urine copper, rubidium, and strontium) were identified to be significantly associated with renal function. Participants in the highest quartile of plasma arsenic and molybdenum were at 17.95 (95% CI: 6.35-50.76) and 24.23 (95% CI: 7.42-79.19) fold risk of abnormal eGFR, respectively, compared with the lowest quartile. The highest quartiles of urine copper, rubidium, and strontium were associated with 3.70 (95% CI:1.92-7.14), 0.16 (95% CI:0.07-0.37) and 0.08 (95% CI: 0.03-0.21) fold risk of abnormal eGFR. The sensitivity analysis revealed that plasma arsenic, molybdenum and urine copper, rubidium and strontium levels retained similar associations with abnormal eGFR., Conclusion: Plasma arsenic and molybdenum, and urine copper are risk factors for abnormal renal function, while urine rubidium and strontium are protective factors for renal function., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can interfere with the absorption of most elements, and the variations of some element levels are related to the incidence of gastric cancer. However, there have been conflicting results concerning the influence of H. pylori infection on serum element levels. The present study aimed to compare the serum element concentrations of H. pylori-infected local residents with uninfected residents from Lujiang County with high gastric cancer risk in Eastern China. We used data and serum samples from the H. pylori screening-survey program which was a cross-sectional study. We took 155 samples randomly from the screening survey, identified 74 H. pylori-positive residents and 81 H. pylori-negative residents by a serological test. The serum concentrations of 15 elements (calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, copper, molybdenum, chromium, cobalt, nickel, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and aluminum) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Serum cobalt was found at higher levels in the H. pylori-infected residents than the H. pylori-uninfected residents (0.246 vs 0.205 μg/L, P = 0.022), but no statistically significant differences in the serum levels of other elements were found. This is the first study to report the serum concentrations of 15 elements and their relationships with the infection status of H. pylori among local residents from Lujiang County with high gastric cancer risk. Although the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified cobalt and other soluble cobalt salts as possibly carcinogenic to human beings, our results may provide a clue to the relationships between cobalt, H. pylori, and gastric cancer.

Though major differences exist in subcategory mortality levels, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death among both Asian Chinese and Westerners. This paper examines the possible relationship between cardiovascular mortality and biochemical, diet and lifestyle factors based on two surveys in China. Statistically significant associations indicate five variables negatively correlated: molybdenum, oleic acid, liquor consumption (males), legumes, and age at first pregnancy with ischemic heart disease; molybdenum, oleic acid (females) and age at first pregnancy with hypertensive heart disease; and legumes and age at first pregnancy with stroke. Five variables were positively correlated: triglycerides and herpes antibodies with ischemic heart disease; salt and phosphorus (females) with hypertensive heart disease; and only albumin (males) with stroke. Some findings confirm those observed in the West (salt, triglycerides, herpes, legumes, oleic acid, and liquor), but molybdenum and age at first pregnancy have not been emphasized previously. Still others significant in the West have not been observed here, such as cholesterol and smoking.