OBJECTIVE:To examine the association of body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and waist circumference (WC) with fasting hyperglycemia after adjustment for age, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among individuals visiting four health-screening centers across Taiwan. SUBJECTS: A total of 61 568 subjects (28 734 men and 32 834 women) between 25 and 64 years of age were included. Fasting hyperglycemia was defined as fasting plasma glucose Z6.1 mmol/l or current diagnosis and use of insulin or hypoglycemic agent. RESULTS: Fasting hyperglycemia was found in 11.0% of men and 8.3% of women. The factors significantly associated with fasting hyperglycemia in men were age, BMI, WHR, and heavy drinking, while for women these factors were age, educational level, BMI, WHR, and heavy smoking. For men, increased risk of fasting hyperglycemia started from age 30 to 34 years, BMI Z25 kg/m 2 , and WHR Z0.82. For women, increased risk of fasting hyperglycemia started from age 35 to 39 years, BMI Z24 kg/ m 2 , and WHR Z0.74. WC lost its significance as a predictor of fasting hyperglycemia when WHR included in the model. CONCLUSION: This study found that central obesity and general obesity were both independently associated with increased risk of fasting hyperglycemia in Taiwanese. The relationship between fasting hyperglycemia and central fat accumulation (WHR) begins to appear at levels that would not be regarded as representing obesity in Western populations, suggesting the need to redefine cutoffs for central obesity in this population.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated as a new treatment option for various diseases in recent years. However, the role of placenta-derived MSCs in children with asthma remains unclear. We assessed the effect of placenta-derived MSCs on T cell immune responses and cytokine IL-5 levels according to cultures in children with and without asthma. Study design: We enrolled children with and without asthma and recorded asthma symptom scores in the asthma group. Blood samples from children were collected to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and determine the total IgE level. The PBMCs were cultured in vitro with or without MSCs after stimulation with human anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies (0.5 μg/mL) to evaluate the effect of placenta-derived MSCs. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the activation and proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Pre-and post-culture IL-5 levels were measured in all samples. Results: The percentages of activation and proliferation among CD4+ and CD8+ T cells after coculture with MSCs were significantly lower in the asthma group (P < 0.05). IL-5 levels differed significantly between the PBMC culture and PBMC + MSC (P+S) coculture in the asthma group (P < 0.05). IL-5 levels differed significantly between the PBMC culture and P+S coculture in both the lower (P < 0.05) and higher (P < 0.0005) IgE asthma subgroups. IL-5 levels were also decreased in children with all severities of asthma (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Placenta-derived MSCs exerted an anti-IL-5 effect and reduced the IL-5 level in culture in different subgroups of children with asthma.

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