BackgroundObesity is associated with metabolic risk factors. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-height ratio (WHtR) are used to predict the risk of obesity related diseases. However, it has not been examined whether these four indicators can detect the clustering of metabolic risk factors in Chinese subjects.MethodsThere are 772 Chinese subjects in the present study. Metabolic risk factors including high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance were identified according to the criteria from WHO. All statistical analyses were performed separately according to sex by using the SPSS 12.0.ResultsBMI, waist circumference and WHtR values were all significantly associated with blood pressure, glucose, triglyceride and also with the number of metabolic risk factors in both male and female subjects (all of P < 0.05). According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under curve values of BMI, waist circumference and WHtR did not differ in male (0.682 vs. 0.661 vs. 0.651) and female (0.702 vs. 0.671 vs. 0.674) subjects, indicating that the three values could be useful in detecting the occurrence of multiple metabolic risk factors. The appropriate cut-off values of BMI, waist circumference and WHtR to predict the presence of multiple metabolic risk factors were 22.85 and 23.30 kg/m2 in males and females, respectively. Those of waist circumference and WHtR were 91.3cm and 87.1cm, 0.51 and 0.53 in males and females, respectively.ConclusionThe BMI, waist circumference and WHtR values can similarly predict the presence of multiple metabolic risk factors in Chinese subjects.

Proper localization of nephrin determines integrity of the glomerular slit diaphragm. Slit diaphragm proteins assemble into functional signaling complexes on a raft-based platform, but how the trafficking of these proteins coordinates with their signaling function is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a raft-mediated endocytic (RME) pathway internalizes nephrin. Nephrin internalization was slower with raft-mediated endocytosis than with classic clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Ultrastructurally, the RME pathway consisted of noncoated invaginations and was dependent on cholesterol and dynamin. Nephrin constituted a stable, signaling-competent microdomain through interaction with Fyn, a Src kinase, and podocin, a scaffold protein. Tyrosine phosphorylation of nephrin triggered its own RME-mediated internalization. Protamine-induced hyperphosphorylation of nephrin led to noncoated invaginations predominating over coated pits. These results demonstrate that an RME pathway couples nephrin internalization to its own signaling, suggesting that RME promotes proper spatiotemporal assembly of slit diaphragms during podocyte development or injury.

Invasive group B Streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of illness and death among infants globally. We conducted prospective and retrospective laboratory-based surveillance of GBS-positive cultures from infants <3 months of age in 18 hospitals across China during January 1, 2015–December 31, 2017. The overall incidence of GBS was 0.31 (95% CI 0.27–0.36) cases/1,000 live births; incidence was 0–0.76 cases/1,000 live births across participating hospitals. The case-fatality rate was 2.3%. We estimated 13,604 cases of GBS and 1,142 GBS–associated deaths in infants <90 days of age annually in China. GBS isolates were most commonly serotype III (61.5%) and clonal complex 17 (40.6%). Enhanced active surveillance and implementation of preventive strategies, such as maternal GBS vaccination, warrants further investigation in China to help prevent these infections.

Highlights We observed the characteristics of specific antibody production of COVID-19 patients. For the first time, we studied the specific antibody levels of different populations. Detecting specific antibodies is a complementary approach to diagnose COVID-19.

The predominant type of cellular junction between normal podocyte foot processes is the slit diaphragm. Under nephrotic conditions,however, foot process effacement leads to the loss of slit diaphragms and the new formationof tight junctions composed of the proteins coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) and zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1). Podocin, a protein that plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the slit diaphragm, has also been localized to these tight junctions, but its function at this site is unknown. In this study, we confirmed that podocin colocalizes with CAR and ZO-1 at the tight junction between foot processes in nephrotic rats. Using primary cultures of rat podocytes, as well as cell lines that co-expressed podocin and CAR, we observed that podocin was recruited to sites of cell-cell contact and that it co-localized with CAR and ZO-1. Immunoprecipitation suggested that these three junctional proteins from a multi-protein complex. Consistent with this, we found that podociin facilitated the coalescence of preassembled lipid rafts containing CAR and restricted their lateral mobility, the latter likely a result of dynamic actin reorganization and subsequent tethering of CAR-podocin complexes to the cytoskeleton. In conclusion, in addition to serving as a structural protein of the slit diaphragm of normal podocytes, our data suggest that podocin may also serve as a scaffold that links tight junction proteins to the actin cytoskeleton in nephrotic foot processes.

Corona Virus Disease 2019 has spread rapidly to more than 70 countries and regions overseas and over 80000 cases have been infected, resulting in more than three thousand deaths. Rapid diagnosis of patients remains a bottleneck in containing the progress of the epidemic. We used automated chemiluminescent immunoassay to detect serum IgM and IgG antibodies to 2019-nCoV of 736 subjects. COVID-19 patients were becoming reactive(positive) for specific antibodies from 7-12 days after the onset of morbidity. Specific IgM and IgG increased with the progression of the disease. The areas under the ROC curves of IgM and IgG were 0.988 and 1.000, respectively. Specific antibody detection has good sensitivity and specificity.Detection of specific antibodies in patients with fever can be a good distinction between COVID-19 and other diseases, so as to be a complement to nucleic acid diagnosis to early diagnosis of suspected cases.All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

Diabetic nephropathy is the main cause of chronic kidney disease, and represents the most common and serious complication of diabetes. The exact pathogenesis is complex and not elucidated. Several factors and mechanisms contribute to the development and outcome of diabetic nephropathy. An early diagnosis and intervention may slow down disease progression. A variety of biological markers associated with diabetic nephropathy were found in recent years, which was important for predicting the occurrence and development of the disease. Therefore, this article provides an overview of early biomarkers that are associated with diabetic nephropathy.

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