The content of ac4C in human body fluids changes significantly under disease conditions (Figure 3). Specifically, the ac4C content in the urine of patients with disease is significantly higher than that of healthy people, including gestational diabetes, 25 interstitial cystitis

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been known to play an important role in various mental disorders or diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of our study was to assess whether BDNF promoter methylation in peripheral blood was able to predict the risk of AD. A total of 44 AD patients and 62 age- and gender-matched controls were recruited in the current case-control study. Using the bisulphite pyrosequencing technology, we evaluated four CpG sites in the promoter of the BDNF. Our results showed that BDNF methylation was significantly higher in AD cases than in the controls (CpG1: p = 10.021; CpG2: p = 0.002; CpG3: p = 0.007; CpG4: p = 0.005; average methylation: p = 0.004). In addition, BDNF promoter methylation was shown to be significantly correlated with the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glucose, Lp(a), ApoE and ApoA in males (ALP: r = −0.308, p = 0.042; glucose: r = −0.383, p = 0.010; Lp(a): r = 0.333, p = 0.027; ApoE: r = −0.345, p = 0.032;), ApoA levels in females (r = 0.362, p = 0.033), and C Reactive Protein (CRP) levels in both genders (males: r = −0.373, p = 0.016; females: r = −0.399, p = 0.021). Our work suggested that peripheral BDNF promoter methylation might be a diagnostic marker of AD risk, although its underlying function remains to be elaborated in the future.

Key PointsQuestionAre the revised Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) metrics associated with reduced risk of all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality compared with the original American Heart Association LS7 metrics?FindingsThis cross-sectional study found that, compared with the original metrics, the revised LS7 metrics were associated with reduced cancer mortality. For participants with body mass index less than or equal to 29.9 but without central obesity, the revised metrics were independently associated with decreased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, with blood pressure having the greatest association with all mortality outcomes.MeaningThese findings indicate that modified criteria regarding weight, blood pressure, and diet in the revised LS7 provide additional information about factors associated with cancer mortality.

Stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability in China, 1 and ischemic stroke (IS) accounts for almost 80% of all strokes, 2 whereas coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major worldwide health threat. In tandem with the economic success of China, the number of individuals in China with IS and CHD has increased significantly in recent years, with stroke resulting in 301 million disability-adjusted life-years. 3CHD in Chinese adults aged 35 to 84 years is predicted to increase by 64% during the period 2020-2029. 4 Although numerous epidemiology studies have researched the association between hyperhomocysteinemia and IS or CHD, the results have been conflicting. Most studies have been retrospective and focused on healthy populations in the developed world, whereas data from developing countries remains limited.Vitamins B12 and B6 and folate are involved in the metabolism of methionine, and deficiency of these B vitamins can cause elevation of total homocysteine (tHcy) levels.5 Deficiencies in these nutrients are more prevalent in developing countries. A meta-analysis of randomized trials demonstrated that homocysteine-lowering interventions for stroke seem not to have a significant effect in geographic regions with high dietary folate intake, but may have a substantial effect in regions with low folate intake, such as Asia. 6 Regarding public health guidelines,Background and Purpose-Total homocysteine level (tHcy) is a risk factor of ischemic stroke (IS) and coronary heart disease. However, the results are conflicting and mainly focused on healthy individuals in developed countries. Methods-A prospective, population-based cohort study was conducted among 5935 participants from 60 communities in the city of Shenzhen, China. A Cox regression analysis was applied to evaluate the contribution of tHcy to the risk of IS and coronary heart disease. The effect of folic acid supplementation on tHcy levels was also evaluated among 501 patients with essential hypertension, who received an average of 2.5 years of folic acid supplementation. Results-After adjustment for confounding factors, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of IS caused by hyperhomocysteinemia were 2.18 (1.65-2.89), 2.40 (1.56-3.67), and 2.73 (1.83-4.08) in the total, male, and female participants, respectively. Compared with normal levels of tHcy (<15 μmol/L), the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for IS in the highest tHcy category (≥30 μmol/L) were 4.96 (3.03-8.12), 6.11 (3.44-10.85), and 1.84 (0.52-6.46) in the total, males, and females participants, respectively. However, we did not observe a significant relationship between tHcy and the risk of coronary heart disease. The 2.5 years of folic acid supplementation reduced tHcy levels by 6.7 μmol/L (27.92%) in patients with essential hypertension. Conclusions-Hyperhomocysteinemia in Chinese hypertensive patients is significantly associated with IS risk but not coronary heart disease susceptibility, and folic acid supplementation can efficiently reduce tHcy levels.