Volume 03 · Issue 03 · 2017

中华人民共和国国务院办公厅于2017年1月22日印发《中国慢性病防治中长期规划（2017-2025年）》（以下简称《规划》）。这标志着中国慢性病防治史上的一个里程碑，是在2012年由原卫生部等15个部委联合发布的中国《国家非传染性疾病（NCD）防治规划（2012-2015年）》基础上的重大突破。它在是中国共产党和政府以人为本、以健康为中心的政治思想的又一体现的同时，也间接反映出两个突出问题，其中之一就是当前我国慢性病防控形势的严峻性。根据中华人民共和国国务院新闻办公室2015年发布的《中国居民慢性病与营养状况报告》，慢性病占全国死亡率533/10万，占全部死亡人数的86.6%，占总疾病负担的70%以上。慢性病由于其发病率、致残率和死亡率高，不仅严重危害人民健康，消耗海量医疗资源，而且降低劳动生产率和社会经济发展。快速的城市化、工业化、人口老龄化以及生态环境和生活方式的改变进一步加剧了国内慢性病问题。第二个问题是防控措施的可行性。经过多年的努力和防治手段的积累，我们已经奠定了比较具体的、符合中国实际情况的基础，包括慢性病的防治策略、控制模式、组织体系、信息系统。在此基础上，我们可以制定更明确的目标、可操作的工作内容、可考核的绩效措施。

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized clinical entity that often involves multiple organs; it is characterized by high levels of serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4), dense infiltration of IgG4+ cells, and storiform fibrosis. Cellular immunity, particularly T cell-mediated immunity, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD. The most frequent renal manifestations of IgG4-RD are IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis, membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN), and obstructive nephropathy secondary to urinary tract obstruction due to IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis, prostatitis, or ureter inflammation. Kidney function impairment can be acute or chronic. In IgG4-MGN, proteinuria can be in the nephrotic range. The diagnosis of IgG4-related kidney disease should not be based solely on serum IgG4 levels or the number of tissue-infiltrating IgG4+ plasma cells. Diagnosis should be based on specific histopathological findings, confirmed by tissue immunostaining and an appropriate clinical context. Steroid treatment is the first-line therapy. For relapsing or refractory cases, immunosuppressants could be combined with steroids. In hydronephrosis patients, appropriate immunosuppressive therapy could preclude the implantation of a double J ureteral catheter.

MET encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase c-MET for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The specific combination of c-MET and HGF activates downstream signaling pathways to trigger cell migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. MET exon 14 alterations and MET gene amplification play a critical role in the origin of cancer. Several monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors of c-MET have been evaluated in clinical trials. In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, cabozantinib and crizotinib showed clear efficacy with a generally tolerable adverse events profile. In gastrointestinal cancers, most phase III trials of MET inhibitors showed negative results. In hepatocellular carcinoma, based on the encouraging results of some phase II studies, a series of phase III trials are currently recruiting patients to access the efficacy and safety of MET inhibitors.

This narrative review examines the changes required in dietary behaviours to address the current global burden of disease resulting from diet-associated cardiometabolic dysfunction. Beginning with known relationships between nutritional factors and health outcomes, the review identifies a number of problems with current dietary behaviours, using examples from the Australian context. Implications for practice are then discussed drawing on insights from research in dietary trials. From a concerted research effort across the globe, the effects of foods, food components and dietary patterns on cardiometabolic parameters have been reasonably well exposed. The evidence base for these effects underpins dietary guidelines, which aim to meet nutritional requirements and protect against cardiometabolic disease. Thus foods recommended in dietary guidelines tend to be consistent with research that identifies foods that appear protective and those that appear detrimental to health. The need for dietary behaviour change is apparent through analyses that have exposed increasing consumption of detrimental foods, despite the availability of healthy foods. However, behaviour change is a complex area, and where weight loss is also required, there is high level evidence that interdisciplinary efforts combining diet, physical activity and psychological support are warranted. Insights from dietary trials and research indicate that focussing on foods and dietary patterns is integral to the specific dietary change required for health outcomes, but social and behavioural factors will influence the achievement of these changes.

In this article, we introduce briefly several strategies for preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and promoting healthcare for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These novel strategies include four core elements of health - sleep, emotion, exercise, and diet - and consist of SEED intervention (SEEDi) and E(e)SEEDi due to supplementation of the environment as a core element, and Hu's healthy lifestyles intervention (HHLi) which originates from E(e)SEED-BasED healthy lifestyles. They are suitable for the early evaluation of risk factors, and play a key role in the prevention and management of human NCDs when combined with the RT-ABCDEF strategy and the Grade 210 prevention, which include obesity-OSA-hypertension syndrome and C-type hypertension, especially in halting cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer (CDC) strips we first discovered. After successful clinical practice, we may expect our novel strategies for controlling these chronic diseases according to the conception of mass prevention and treatment.

As a result of increased prevalence of obesity worldwide, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease. Although most NAFLD cases remain benign, some progress to end-stage liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, treatment should be considered for NAFLD patients who are likely to progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or fibrosis. Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), a G-actin sequestering peptide, regulates actin polymerization in mammalian cells. In addition, studies have reported anti-inflammatory, insulin-sensitizing, and anti-fibrotic effects of Tβ4. However, no research has been done to investigate the effects of Tβ4 on NAFLD. Based on the findings above mentioned, we hypothesize that Tβ4 may represent an effective treatment for NAFLD.

Recent studies have reported conflicting results on the correlation between metformin use and outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of metformin therapy on the prognosis of CRC patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science for related articles up to August 2016. Two investigators independently identified and extracted information. Pooled risk estimates [hazard ratios (HRs)] and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed-effects models. The risk of publication bias was assessed by examining funnel plot asymmetry as well as Egger's test and Begg's test.

Of 81 articles identified, 8 retrospective cohort studies, representing 6098 cases of CRC patients with T2DM who used metformin and 4954 cases of CRC patients with T2DM who did not use metformin, were included in this meta-analysis. There was no significant heterogeneity and quality difference between studies. Metformin users had significantly improved overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.77-0.87, P = 0.000). However, Metformin use cannot affect CRC-specific survival (HR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.69-1.02, P = 0.079) compared to non-users.

This meta-analysis suggests that metformin use may improve survival among CRC patients with T2DM. However, prospective controlled studies are still needed to rigorously evaluate the efficacy of metformin as an anti-tumor agent.

To investigate the presence of previously undiagnosed radiographic bronchiectasis in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients using high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and to evaluate the effect of radiographic bronchiectasis on the symptoms and risks in stable COPD patients.

From May 2012 to April 2014, there were 347 patients enrolled in COPD database. Data describing the general conditions, the frequency of acute exacerbations the year before, COPD assessment test, modified medical research council (mMRC) score, spirometric classification, and HRCT were collected. COPD patients were classified into two groups: COPD with bronchiectasis and COPD without bronchiectasis. The clinical characteristics of both groups were compared.

Bronchiectasis was presented in 18.4% (n = 64). The proportion of smokers, smoking index, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second predicted value were 62.5%, 27.3 ± 13.2, 48.2 ± 26.4, respectively, in the bronchiectasis group, which were lower than those of the group without bronchiectasis (82.0%, 32.6 ± 17.6, and 57.9 ± 18.8) (P < 0.05). Complications, COPD assessment test (CAT) and the rate of CAT ≥ 10 in the bronchiectasis group were 2.8 ± 1.7,13.6 ± 7.4 and 26.6%, respectively, which were higher than those of the group without bronchiectasis (2.3 ± 1.5,11.3 ± 6.0, and 11.7%) (P < 0.05). The proportion of type D (high-risk more-symptoms) in the bronchiectasis group was 50.0%; it was significantly higher than that of 35.7% in the group without bronchiectasis (P < 0.05).

COPD with bronchiectasis is associated with more complications, symptoms, and risks. More attention should be paid to the treatment of COPD with bronchiectasis to reduce the frequency of exacerbation and improve the health status.

To evaluate the parathyroid function in maintenance hemodialysis patients from 4 hemodialysis centers and to analyze the cause of the dysfunction.

This cross-sectional study included patients with chronic renal disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis treatment at 4 hemodialysis centers in Changchun, China, between March 2014 and August 2015. A total of 337 patients were asked to complete a questionnaire including their name, gender, age, hemodialysis duration, the use of calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 supplements, health education status, hemofiltration frequency, appetite, and education level. Serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), phosphorus, total calcium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cre) levels were obtained from clinical information. Patients with iPTH data were divided into 2 groups: Normal group: the patients with an iPTH level < 100 pg/ml (28 subjects); Abnormal group: the patients with an iPTH level > 100 pg/ml (136 subjects). Intergroup differences were analyzed using the t-test. The enumeration data were analyzed by the χ² test.

The iPTH levels were not monitored for 173 maintenance hemodialysis patients (51.3%) but for 164 patients (48.7%). Of the 164 patients, 28 (17.1%) had a normal serum iPTH level, while the other 136 (82.9%) had an abnormal iPTH level. The maintenance hemodialysis duration and phosphorus levels in the Abnormal group were higher than those in the Normal group (P < 0.05). The appetites of patients in the Abnormal group were better than those of patients in the Normal group (P < 0.05).

A lower proportion of patients on hemodialysis had a normal iPTH level. The phosphorus levels of patients on hemodialysis should be controlled via dietary interventions.

Pontine infarction is a common type of stroke in the cerebral deep structures, resulting from occlusion of small penetrating arteries, may manifest as hemi-paralysis, hemi-sensory deficit, ataxia, vertigo, and bulbar dysfunction, but patients presenting with restless legs syndrome (RLS) are extremely rare. Herein, we reported five cases with RLS as a major manifestation of pontine infarction.

Five cases of pontine infarction related RLS were collected from July 2013 to February 2016. The diagnosis of RLS was made according to criteria established by the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) in 2003. Neurological functions were assessed according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Severity of RLS was based on the International RLS Rating Scale (IRLS-RS). Sleep quality was assessed by Epworth Rating Scale (ERS), and individual emotional and psychological states were assessed by Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS).

The laboratory data at the onset including hemoglobin, serum concentration of homocysteine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, electrolytes, and thyroid hormones were normal. The electroencephalogram (EEG), lower-extremity somatosensory evoked potential (SEP), and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) in four limbs were normal. The average period of follow-up was 34.60 ± 12.76 months. The MRI examination showed acute or subacute pontine infarction lesions, 3 cases in the rostral inner side, 1 case in the rostral lateral and inner side, and 1 case in rostral lateral side. The neurological deficits included weakness in 4 cases, contralateral sensory deficit in 1 case, and ataxia in 2 cases. All 5 patients presented with symptom of RLS at or soon after the onset of infarction and 4 patients experienced uncomfortable sensations in the paralyzed limbs contralateral to the ischemic lesion. Their neurological deficits improved significantly 2 weeks later, but the symptoms of RLS did not resolve. Among them, 3/5 patients were treated with dopaminergic drugs. At the end of the follow-up, RLS symptom eventually resolved in 3 patients but persisted in two. The IRLS-RS, NIHSS and mRS scores were significantly lower at the onset than those at the last follow-up (P = 0.035, 0.024 and 0.049, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the ERS, HDS and HAS scores (P = 0.477, 0.226 and 0.778, respectively).

RLS can be an onset manifestation of pontine infarction, clinicians should be aware of this potential symptom. RLS usually occurs in the paralyzed limbs contralateral to the infarction lesion. The pathogenesis still needs further investigation.