Background/Aims. NLRP3 inflammasome, an inflammasome which consists of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain- (Nod-) like receptor3 (NLRP3) scaffold, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) containing a CARD adaptor, and pro-caspase-1, is assembled after the cytoplasmic leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) of NLRP3 sense pathogens or danger signals. In recent years, the role of inflammasome in cardiovascular diseases has attracted mounting attention, and the in-depth study of its mechanism is gradually clear. Materials. The NLRP3 inflammasome controls the activation of the proteolytic enzyme caspase-1. Caspase-1 in turn regulates the maturation of the proinflammasome cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, which leads to an inflammatory response. We made a mini-review on the association of regulatory mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome with the development of cardiovascular diseases systematically based on the recent research studies. Discussion. The inflammasome plays an indispensable role in the development of atherosclerosis, coronary heart diseases (CHD), and heart ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, and NLRP3 inflammasome may become a new target for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Effective regulation of NLRP3 may help prevent or even treat cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion. This mini-review focuses on the association of regulatory mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome with the development of cardiovascular diseases, which may supply some important clues for future therapies and novel drug targets for cardiovascular diseases.

We collected paired sera from live poultry workers in southern China and identified a high risk of asymptomatic influenza A(H7N9) virus infection, particularly in females and those with longer exposure to poultry. Background. Confirmed cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infection in humans continue to occur in mainland China. Few confirmed cases have occurred in poultry workers despite potentially higher rates of exposure. Methods. A serological survey was conducted in May and December 2013 in poultry market workers, and in March and September 2013 in the general population. Blood samples were collected and tested for antibodies to H7N9 and H5N1 viruses by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays. Multivariable analysis was employed to identify risk factors related to H7N9 infection indicated by serology among poultry workers. Results. In the poultry workers, 36 of 501 (7.2%) in May and 56 of 375 (14.9%) in December had HI antibody titers ≥1:160 to H7N9. Of 96 individuals who participated in both surveys, 52 (54.2%) workers had a ≥4-fold rise in H7N9 antibody titers from May to December. In a multivariable analysis, female sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.713; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.098–6.705) and ≥10 years of occupational exposure (OR, 3.592; 95% CI, 1.246–10.354) were identified as risk factors for infection. Seroprevalence against H5N1 at ≥1:160 was low in May (4/501 [0.8%]) and December (3/375 [0.8%]). In the general population, 0 of 417 individuals in March and 0 of 408 individuals in September had antibody titers ≥1:160 to H7N9 or to H5N1. Conclusions. Although none of the participants in our study had virologically confirmed H7N9 infection, the high proportion of poultry workers with serologic evidence of H7N9 infection between May and December 2013 suggests a substantial risk of mild H7N9 infections in this group, supporting stricter control measures in live poultry markets.

To evaluate the effect of the "Clean Hands, Happy Life" intervention on the incidence of hand, food and mouth disease (HFMD) and on school absences due to sickness in kindergarten students. The intervention consisted of four hand hygiene (HH) promotion components and was evaluated in a cluster-randomized controlled trial among 8275 children and 18 kindergartens from May to October, 2015 in Shenzhen, China. We compared two intervention arms - received the intervention in kindergartens only and in both kindergartens and families, respectively - to the control arm in multilevel analyses. During the follow-up, the incidence of HFMD in both intervention arms was significantly lower than in the control arm (IRR₁: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.26-0.59; IRR₂: 0.30, 95%CI: 0.19-0.49); the duration of absence due to sickness (in days) in both intervention arms was significantly shorter than in the control arm (β₁ = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.41-0.74; β₂ = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.17-0.50), controlling for the area type of kindergarten and grade level of children. Furthermore, during the follow-up we found that there were fewer episodes of absence due to respiratory, skin and eye infections (P < 0.05). Our intervention is effective at reducing HFMD infections and absence due to sickness in children attending kindergartens in China.