Although several studies have shown that cigarette smoking is associated with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), the exact relationship between smoking and thyroid function is controversial. As little is known about the effects of smoking on TSH, TPOAb and TgAb in Chinese residents. This study aimed to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and TSH, TPOAb and TgAb in ten-city residents of China. This was a population-based cross-sectional study. In this cross-sectional study, 15,181 subjects from ten major cities of China were investigated. Data regarding demographic characteristics, smoking status and consumption of iodine status were collected using in-person interviews based on a self-designed structured questionnaire. Serum concentrations of TSH, TPOAb and TgAb were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Univariate analysis and multivariate linear stepwise regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The regular smokers had lower concentrations of TSH, TPOAb and TgAb than occasional smokers, former smokers and never smokers. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that regular smoking was associated with the decreased concentrations of TSH (β = -0.178), TPOAb (β = -0.287) and TGAb (β = -0.453) after adjusting other factors. Furthermore, daily smoking number was significantly associated with the decreased level of TSH (β = -0.045) and TPOAb(β = -0.080), and smoking duration was associated with the decreased TSH level (β = -0.030). Our findings suggest that cigarette smoking is related to a significant decline in the concentrations of TSH, TPOAb and TgAb. In addition, daily smoking number and long-term smoking decrease serum TSH and TPOAb levels. Cigarette smoking plays a significant role in the development of thyroid dysfunction.

Background: Little comprehensive information on overall epidemic trend of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases is available in Shandong Province, China. This study aimed to determine the spatiotemporal distribution and epidemic characteristics of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases.Methods: Time series was firstly performed to describe the temporal distribution feature of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases during 2005–2014 in Shandong Province. GIS Natural Breaks (Jenks) was applied to divide the average annual incidence of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases into five grades. Spatial empirical Bayesian smoothed risk maps and excess risk maps were further used to investigate spatial patterns of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases. Global and local Moran’sIstatistics were used to measure the spatial autocorrelation. Spatial-temporal scanning was used to detect spatiotemporal clusters and identify high-risk locations.Results: A total of 537,506 cases of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases were reported in Shandong Province during 2005–2014. The morbidity of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases had obvious seasonality with high morbidity in winter and spring. Local Moran’sIanalysis showed that there were 5, 23, 24, 4, 20, 8, 14, 10 and 7 high-risk counties determined for influenza A (H1N1), measles, tuberculosis, meningococcal meningitis, pertussis, scarlet fever, influenza, mumps and rubella, respectively. The spatial-temporal clustering analysis determined that the most likely cluster of influenza A (H1N1), measles, tuberculosis, meningococcal meningitis, pertussis, scarlet fever, influenza, mumps and rubella included 74, 66, 58, 56, 22, 64, 2, 75 and 56 counties, and the time frame was November 2009, March 2008, January 2007, February 2005, July 2007, December 2011, November 2009, June 2012 and May 2005, respectively.Conclusions: There were obvious spatiotemporal clusters of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases in Shandong during 2005–2014. More attention should be paid to the epidemiological and spatiotemporal characteristics of notifiable respiratory infectious diseases to establish new strategies for its control.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and hyperlipidemia is one major inducing factor of CVD. It is worthy to note that fucoidans are reported to have hypolipidemic activity with species specificity; however, the underlying mechanisms of action are far from clarification. This study is aimed at investigating the plasma lipid‐lowering mechanisms of the fucoidan from L. japonica Aresch by detecting the levels of hepatic genes that are involved in lipid metabolism. Our results demonstrated that the fucoidan F3 significantly lowered total cholesterol and triglyceride in C57BL/6J mice fed a high‐fat diet. In the mouse liver, fucoidan F3 intervention significantly increased the gene expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) α, liver X receptor (LXR) α and β, and ATP‐binding cassette transporter (ABC) G1 and G8 and decreased the expression of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), low‐density lipoprotein receptor, cholesterol 7 alpha‐hydroxylase A1, and sterol regulatory element‐binding protein (SREBP) 1c and SREBP‐2. These results demonstrated that the antihyperlipidemic effects of fucoidan F3 are related to its activation of PPARα and LXR/ABC signaling pathways and inactivation of SREBPs. In conclusion, fucoidan F3 may be explored as a potential compound for prevention or treatment of lipid disorders.

Background: Globally, there has been a steady increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, and the risk of cardiovascular disease has increased. The relationship between diabetes and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at different blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c), and lipid levels remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate these associations within a population-based cohort. Material and methods: We analysed data from the Guiyang subcentre of the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Study, which enrolled participants aged 40 years and older between 2011 and 2012. Subsequently, a follow-up visit was conducted during 2014–2016 to assess incident CVD events. Results: The analysis included a cohort of 7197 adults, of whom 590 were diagnosed with diabetes. Among all the participants, the CVD events linked to diabetes had a multivariable adjusted hazard ratio of 2.37 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.38–4.08]. Patients with diabetes had a greater risk of experiencing CVD events if they had high blood pressure [hazard ratios (HR): 1.24, 95% CI: 1.39–4.21] and high lipid levels (HR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.29–3.70) compared to people with normal blood pressure (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.54–2.82) and lipid levels (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.47–3.41). Conclusions: Our analysis revealed a significant association between diabetes and an increased risk of subsequent CVD events, which can be mitigated through optimal management of the metabolic profile of cardiovascular risk factors. Keywords: type 2 diabetes cardiovascular disease ideal cardiovascular metabolic profile prospective cohort study

Not required for Clinical Vignette. Keywords: congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia adrenal insufficiency adrenal crisis