Background Blood pressure (BP) is a variable physiological parameter in health and disease. Increased BP variability over time in adults is associated with severity of end-organ damage and a higher rate of cardiovascular events, even after adjusting for the mean levels. This study tested the hypothesis that childhood BP variability, besides the mean levels, is also predictive of adulthood hypertension. Methods The study cohort consisted of 1,797 subjects (1,091 whites and 706 blacks; age = 21–48 years) enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study since childhood. BP variability was depicted as s.d. of 4–8 serial measurements in childhood. Results Blacks showed significantly greater childhood systolic BP (SBP) variability than whites. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusting for race, sex, mean childhood age, s.d. of childhood body mass index (BMI), mean childhood BP levels, adulthood age and BMI, adult hypertension was significantly associated with s.d. of childhood SBP (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence intervals) = 1.28 (1.09, 1.51), P = 0.002) and s.d. of childhood diastolic BP (DBP; 1.36 (1.16, 1.58), P < 0.001). When using adulthood BP levels as continuous dependent variables in linear regression models, adjusting for the same covariates, adulthood SBP and DBP levels were significantly associated with s.d. of childhood SBP (standardized regression coefficient β = 0.086, P < 0.001) and s.d. of childhood DBP (β = 0.105, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions Increases in BP variations as well as levels in early life are predictive of adult hypertension, which underscore the childhood origin of the natural history of essential hypertension.

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Tripartite motif-containing 14 (TRIM14) is a member of the TRIM protein family which has been implicated in several critical processes and is dysregulated in human cancers in a cancer-specific trend. However, its expression and function in human gastric cancer (GC) are still largely unknown. In this study, we confirmed for the first time that TRIM14 mRNA and protein were upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines as determined by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Clinical data disclosed that high TRIM14 expression was significantly associated with aggressive prognostic features, including advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. In regards to 5-year survival, TRIM14 served as a potential prognostic marker for GC. Notably, TRIM14 promoted migration, invasion as measured by Transwell and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as determined by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence (IF) in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, TRIM14 induced protein kinase B (AKT) pathway activation, and inhibition of AKT reversed the TRIM14-induced promotive effects on cell migration, invasion and EMT progression. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TRIM14 expression was regulated by miR-195-5p. miR-195-5p exerted an inhibitory role in GC migration and invasion. Finally, we confirmed that alteration of TRIM14 expression abolished the effects of miR-195-5p on GC cells. Conclusively, our results demonstrated that TRIM14 functions as an oncogene in regulating EMT and metastasis of GC via activating AKT signaling, which was regulated by miR-195-5p, supporting its potential utility as a therapeutic target for GC.

Background and Purpose-Vascular remodeling as depicted by increases in arterial lumen diameter occurs in response to development of atherosclerosis. However, data on the correlates of arterial lumen diameter in younger adults by race and sex are limited. Methods-The study cohort included 734 white and 306 black subjects, aged 20 to 43 years, enrolled in the Bogalusa Heart Study. The common carotid artery lumen diameter at diastole and intima media thickness (IMT) were measured by Mand B-mode ultrasonography, respectively. Results-As a group, blacks versus whites (3.44 mm/m versus 3.37 mm/m, Pϭ0.002) and males versus females (3.45 mm/m versus 3.35 mm/m, PϽ0.001) had greater height-adjusted lumen diameter. In multivariate analyses of total sample, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and carotid IMT were independent predictors of height-adjusted lumen diameter. The magnitude of the effects of mean arterial pressure and carotid IMT on height-adjusted lumen diameter was significantly different between races with blacks showing greater slopes (difference in slopes: Pϭ0.011 for mean arterial pressure; Pϭ0.033 for IMT); interaction effects of body mass index and mean arterial pressure with sex on height-adjusted lumen diameter were also noted with males showing steeper slopes (difference in slopes: Pϭ0.003 for body mass index; Pϭ0.005 for mean arterial pressure). In addition, the lumen diameter-carotid IMT relationship was stronger in hypertensives than in normotensives (difference in slopes: Pϭ0.038). Conclusions-Common carotid artery lumen diameter is influenced by carotid artery IMT, adiposity, and blood pressure in a race-and sex-specific manner in asymptomatic younger adults, which may have implications for preventive cardiology.