An atlas of DNA methylomes in porcine adipose and muscle tissues

It is evident that epigenetic factors, especially DNA methylation, have essential roles in obesity development. Here, using pig as a model, we investigate the systematic association between DNA methylation and obesity. We sample eight variant adipose and two distinct skeletal muscle tissues from three pig breeds living within comparable environments but displaying distinct fat level. We generate 1,381 Gb of sequence data from 180 methylated DNA immunoprecipitation libraries, and provide a genome-wide DNA methylation map as well as a gene expression map for adipose and muscle studies. The analysis shows global similarity and difference among breeds, sexes and anatomic locations, and identifies the differentially methylated regions. The differentially methylated regions in promoters are highly associated with obesity development via expression repression of both known obesity-related genes and novel genes. This comprehensive map provides a solid basis for exploring epigenetic mechanisms of adipose deposition and muscle growth

Reproductive outcomes of women with cesarean scar pregnancy after uterine artery chemoembolization combined with evacuation

Objective To retrospectively analyze the reproductive outcome of patients after undergoing uterine artery chemoembolization (UACE) due to cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), and to explore the risk factors for CSP. Methods The clinical data and follow-up information were retrospectively collected from the women who had diagnosed with CSPs and treated by UACE combined with evacuation in our hospital between January 2010 and December 2017. Their conditions of pregnancy and reproductive outcome were analyzed. The clinical manifestations and ultrasonographic features were compared between these pregnant women and those with normal pregnancy. Results Of the 396 cases with follow-up data, 118 cases (29.8%) wished to give a birth again and finally 96 cases (88.1%) were successfully pregnant, with a total of 104 pregnancies. Among them, 62 pregnancies (59.6%) were intrauterine pregnancy while 26 pregnancies (25.0%) were RCSP. Although 278 cases (70.2%) had no pregnancy plans, there were 42 cases (16.9%) having subsequent pregnancies, with a total of 47 pregnancies. Among them, 2 pregnancies (4.3%) were intrauterine pregnancy while 6 pregnancies (12.7%) were RCSP. In all pregnancies, the incidence of RCSP was 21.2% (32/151). Between the intrauterine pregnancy and RCSP groups, the latter group had older gestational age (P=0.020), thinner remnant myometrial thickness of lower uterine segment of previous CSP (P=0.010) and larger times of abortion (P=0.029). Conclusion Women with CSP could be pregnant again after UACE combined with evacuation. It is apt to form RCSP in the subsequent pregnancy after the previous CSP. The gestational age and the remnant myometrial thickness of lower uterine segment of the previous CSP and the number of abortions are associated with RCSP

The Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Cesarean Scar Pregnancy

Objective. To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods. Clinical data from 92 patients with lower uterine segment pregnancy, who underwent conventional ultrasound and CEUS examination in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, were collected by Xinqiao Hospital Third Military Medical University from March 2014 to March 2015. The parameters of ultrasound contrast time-intensity curve (TIC), including arrival time, time to peak, time from peak to one half, basic intensity, peak intensity, and wash-in slope, were analyzed. Results. Of the 92 cases of patients with pregnancy in the lower uterine segment, 52 cases were CSP, and 40 cases were intrauterine pregnancy. CEUS was significantly better than conventional ultrasound in terms of sensitivity, negative predictive value, Youden index, and diagnostic accuracy (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in specificity and positive predictive value (P>0.05). Conclusion. CEUS has a higher accuracy than conventional ultrasound in diagnosis of CSP

Dietary Fat Intake and Risk of Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Consumption of dietary fat has been reported to be associated with gastric cancer risk, but the results of epidemiologic studies remain inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence regarding the association between dietary fat intake and gastric cancer risk.A comprehensive search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed to identify observational studies providing quantitative estimates between dietary fat and gastric cancer risk. Random effects model was used to calculate the summary relative risk(SRR) in the highest versus lowest analysis. Categorical dose-response analysis was conducted to quantify the association between dietary fat intake and gastric cancer risk. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using I2 and tau2(between study variance)statistics. Subgroup analysis and publication bias analysis were also performed.Twenty-two articles were included in the meta-analysis. The SRR for gastric cancer was 1.18 for individuals with highest intake versus lowest intake of total fat (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.999-1.39; n = 28; P< 0.001; tau2 = 0.12; I2 = 69.5%, 95% CI: 55%-79%) and 1.08 with a daily increase in total fat intake (20 g/d) (95%CI: 1.02-1.14; n = 6; P = 0.09; tau2 = 0.002; I2 = 46.8%, 95% CI: 0%-79%). Positive association between saturated fat intake (SRR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.09-1.58;n = 18;P<0.001; tau2 = 0.08; I2 = 60.6%, 95% CI: 34%-76%), inverse association between polyunsaturated fat intake (SRR = 0.77; 95%CI: 0.65-0.92; n = 16; P = 0.003; tau2 = 0.06; I2 = 56.2%, 95% CI: 23%-75%) and vegetable fat intake (SRR = 0.55; 95%CI: 0.41-0.74; n = 4;P = 0.12; tau2 = 0.04; I2 = 48.6%, 95% CI: 0%-83%), and no association between monounsaturated fat intake (SRR = 1.00; 95%CI: 0.79-1.25; n = 14; P< 0.001; tau2 = 0.10; I2 = 63.0%, 95% CI: 34%-79%) and animal fat intake (SRR = 1.10; 95%CI: 0.90-1.33; n = 6; P = 0.13;tau2 = 0.02; I2 = 42.0%, 95% CI: 0%-70%) and gastric cancer risk were observed.Our results suggest that intake of total fat is potentially positively associated with gastric cancer risk, and specific subtypes of fats account for different effects. However, these findings should be confirmed by further well-designed cohort studies with detailed dietary assessments and strict control of confounders

Development and validation of a cancer cachexia risk score for digestive tract cancer patients before abdominal surgery

Abstract Background Cancer cachexia is prevalent in digestive tract cancer patients and has significant impacts on prognosis; it is vital to identify individuals who are at risk of cancer cachexia to allow for appropriate evaluation and treatment. This study evaluated whether digestive tract cancer patients with a risk of cancer cachexia and who had a risk of adverse survival could be identified before abdominal surgery. Methods This large‐scale cohort study involved patients who underwent abdominal surgery between January 2015 and December 2020 to treat digestive tract cancer. Participants were allocated to the development cohort, the validation cohort, or the application cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the development cohort were performed to detect distinct risk variables for cancer cachexia to create a cancer cachexia risk score. The performance of the risk score across all the three cohorts was assessed through calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), as well as calibration and decision curves. We tested how well the score predicted survival outcomes in the application cohort. Results A total of 16 264 patients (median 64 years of age; 65.9% male) were included, with 8743 in the development cohort, 5828 in the validation cohort, and 1693 in the application cohort. Seven variables were identified as independent predictive factors and were included in the cancer cachexia risk score: cancer site, cancer stage, time from symptom onset to hospitalization, appetite loss, body mass index, skeletal muscle index, and neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio. The risk score predicting cancer cachexia owns a good discrimination, with the mean AUC of 0.760 (P  0.05). The decision curve analysis revealed net benefits of the risk score across a range of risk thresholds in the three cohorts. In the application cohort, compared with the high‐risk group, the low‐risk group experienced significantly longer overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) 2.887, P < 0.001] as well as relapse‐free survival (HR 1.482, P = 0.01). Conclusions The cancer cachexia risk score constructed and validated demonstrated good performance in identifying those digestive tract cancer patients before abdominal surgery at a higher risk of cancer cachexia and unfavourable survival. This risk score can help clinicians to enhance their capabilities to screen for cancer cachexia, assess patient prognosis, and strengthen early decision‐making on targeted approaches to attune cancer cachexia for digestive tract cancer patients before abdominal surgery

Flow chart of study selection.

<p>Flow chart of study selection.</p

Dose-response relationship for total fat intake level and the RR of gastric cancer risk (<i>P</i>-nonlinearity = 0.50).

<p>Dose-response relationship for total fat intake level and the RR of gastric cancer risk (<i>P</i>-nonlinearity = 0.50).</p

Forest plots of polyunsaturated fat intake and gastric cancer risk based on highest versus lowest analysis.

<p>Forest plots of polyunsaturated fat intake and gastric cancer risk based on highest versus lowest analysis.</p

Subgroup analyses of dietary fat intake and gastric cancer risk, highest versus lowest.

<p>SRR, summary relative risk</p><p>CI, confidenceinterval</p><p>USA, United States of America</p><p>GCA, gastric cardia adenocarcinoma</p><p>GNCA, gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma</p><p>NOS, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale</p><p>N., number</p><p>PBCC, Population-based case-control</p><p>HBCC, Hospital-based case-control</p><p>HHHQ, health habits and history questionnaire</p><p>FFQ, food frequency questionnaire.</p><p>Subgroup analyses of dietary fat intake and gastric cancer risk, highest versus lowest.</p

Forest plots of total fat intake and gastric cancer risk based on highest versus lowest analysis.

<p>Forest plots of total fat intake and gastric cancer risk based on highest versus lowest analysis.</p