The Population-Based Risk of Need for Coronary Revascularization According to the Presence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and History of Coronary Heart Disease in the Korean Population

Background

Whether diabetic patients without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) have the same risk of CHD events as non-diabetic patients with a history of CHD remains controversial. This study aimed to determine whether type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a coronary heart disease (CHD) equivalent in the need for coronary revascularization procedures (RVs) in the Korean population.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We followed 2,168,698 subjects who had oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs)-taking T2DM in 2008 and/or CHD in 2007–2008 (i.e., recent CHD). We used systematic datasets from the nationwide claims database of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service of Korea, which is representative of the whole population of Korea, from January 2007 to December 2012. The primary study endpoint was the development of need for RVs (i.e., incident CHD) after January 2009 among three groups based on their status of T2DM and recent CHD, i.e., T2DM only, recent CHD only, and both T2DM and recent CHD. After adjustment for age and sex, patients with recent CHD only had 2.14 times the risk of incident CHD (95% CI, 2.11–2.18, P<0.001) compared with patients with T2DM only. Patients with both T2DM and recent CHD demonstrated approximately 2-fold increased risk of incident CHD compared with subjects with recent CHD only (95% CI, 1.75-1.82), while 4-fold increased risk compared with subjects with T2DM only (95% CI, 3.71-3.87). The risk of incident CHD also differed according to sex and age.

Conclusions/Significance

This analysis of data from the nationwide claims database revealed that T2DM did not have a recent CHD equivalent risk in the Korean population. These results suggest that an appropriate strategy for the CHD risk stratification in diabetic patients should be adopted to manage this population.     

Exploring the Genetic Signature of Body Size in Yucatan Miniature Pig

Since being domesticated about 10,000–12,000 years ago, domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) have been selected for traits of economic importance, in particular large body size. However, Yucatan miniature pigs have been selected for small body size to withstand high temperature environment and for laboratory use. This renders the Yucatan miniature pig a valuable model for understanding the evolution of body size. We investigate the genetic signature for selection of body size in the Yucatan miniature pig. Phylogenetic distance of Yucatan miniature pig was compared to other large swine breeds (Yorkshire, Landrace, Duroc and wild boar). By estimating the XP-EHH statistic using re-sequencing data derived from 70 pigs, we were able to unravel the signatures of selection of body size. We found that both selections at the level of organism, and at the cellular level have occurred. Selection at the higher levels include feed intake, regulation of body weight and increase in mass while selection at the molecular level includes cell cycle and cell proliferation. Positively selected genes probed by XP-EHH may provide insight into the docile character and innate immunity as well as body size of Yucatan miniature pig.     

Blockade of Retinol Metabolism Protects T Cell-Induced Hepatitis by Increasing Migration of Regulatory T Cells

Retinols are metabolized into retinoic acids by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and retinaldehyde dehydrogenase (Raldh). However, their roles have yet to be clarified in hepatitis despite enriched retinols in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Therefore, we investigated the effects of retinols on Concanavalin A (Con A)-mediated hepatitis.Con A was injected into wild type (WT), Raldh1 knock-out (Raldh1^−/−), CCL2^−/− and CCR2^−/− mice. For migration study of regulatory T cells (Tregs), we used in vivo and ex vivo adoptive transfer systems. Blockade of retinol metabolism in mice given 4-methylpyrazole, an inhibitor of ADH, and ablated Raldh1 gene manifested increased migration of Tregs, eventually protected against Con A-mediated hepatitis by decreasing interferon-γ in T cells. Moreover, interferon-γ treatment increased the expression of ADH3 and Raldh1, but it suppressed that of CCL2 and IL-6 in HSCs. However, the expression of CCL2 and IL-6 was inversely increased upon the pharmacologic or genetic ablation of ADH3 and Raldh1 in HSCs. Indeed, IL-6 treatment increased CCR2 expression of Tregs. In migration assay, ablated CCR2 in Tregs showed reduced migration to HSCs. In adoptive transfer of Tregs in vivo and ex vivo, Raldh1-deficient mice showed more increased migration of Tregs than WT mice. Furthermore, inhibited retinol metabolism increased survival rate (75%) compared with that of the controls (25%) in Con A-induced hepatitis.These results suggest that blockade of retinol metabolism protects against acute liver injury by increased Treg migration, and it may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to control T cell-mediated acute hepatitis.     

Comparative genome analysis of rice-pathogenic Burkholderia provides insight into capacity to adapt to different environments and hosts

Background

In addition to human and animal diseases, bacteria of the genus Burkholderia can cause plant diseases. The representative species of rice-pathogenic Burkholderia are Burkholderia glumae, B. gladioli, and B. plantarii, which primarily cause grain rot, sheath rot, and seedling blight, respectively, resulting in severe reductions in rice production. Though Burkholderia rice pathogens cause problems in rice-growing countries, comprehensive studies of these rice-pathogenic species aiming to control Burkholderia-mediated diseases are only in the early stages.

Results

We first sequenced the complete genome of B. plantarii ATCC 43733^T. Second, we conducted comparative analysis of the newly sequenced B. plantarii ATCC 43733^T genome with eleven complete or draft genomes of B. glumae and B. gladioli strains. Furthermore, we compared the genome of three rice Burkholderia pathogens with those of other Burkholderia species such as those found in environmental habitats and those known as animal/human pathogens. These B. glumae, B. gladioli, and B. plantarii strains have unique genes involved in toxoflavin or tropolone toxin production and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-mediated bacterial immune system. Although the genome of B. plantarii ATCC 43733^T has many common features with those of B. glumae and B. gladioli, this B. plantarii strain has several unique features, including quorum sensing and CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) systems.

Conclusions

The complete genome sequence of B. plantarii ATCC 43733^T and publicly available genomes of B. glumae BGR1 and B. gladioli BSR3 enabled comprehensive comparative genome analyses among three rice-pathogenic Burkholderia species responsible for tissue rotting and seedling blight. Our results suggest that B. glumae has evolved rapidly, or has undergone rapid genome rearrangements or deletions, in response to the hosts. It also, clarifies the unique features of rice pathogenic Burkholderia species relative to other animal and human Burkholderia species.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1558-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.