Coronary artery disease (CAD) causes more than 700,000 deaths each year in China. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in populations of European ancestry identified several genetic loci for CAD, but no such study has yet been reported in the Chinese population. Here we report a three-stage GWAS in the Chinese Han population. We identified a new association between rs6903956 in a putative gene denoted as C6orf105 on chromosome 6p24.1 and CAD (P = 5.00 × 10⁻³, stage 2 validation; P = 3.00 × 10⁻³, P = 1.19 × 10⁻⁸ and P = 4.00 × 10⁻³ in three independent stage 3 replication populations; P = 4.87 × 10⁻¹², odds ratio = 1.51 in the combined population). The minor risk allele A of rs6903956 is associated with decreased C6orf105 mRNA expression. We report the first GWAS for CAD in the Chinese Han population and identify a SNP, rs6903956, in C6orf105 associated with susceptibility to CAD in this population.

Background: Karst caves are considered as extreme environments with nutrition deficiency, darkness, and oxygen deprivation, and they are also the sources of biodiversity and metabolic pathways. Microorganisms are usually involved in the formation and maintenance of the cave system through various metabolic activities, and are indicators of changes environment influenced by human. Zhijin cave is a typical Karst cave and attracts tourists in China. However, the bacterial diversity and composition of the Karst cave are still unclear. The present study aims to reveal the bacterial diversity and composition in the cave and the potential impact of tourism activities, and better understand the roles and co-occurrence pattern of the bacterial community in the extreme cave habitats. Results: The bacterial community consisted of the major Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes, with Proteobacteria being the predominant phylum in the rock, soil, and stalactite samples. Compositions and specialized bacterial phyla of the bacterial communities were different among different sample types. The highest diversity index was found in the rock samples with a Shannon index of 4.71. Overall, Zhijin cave has relatively lower diversity than that in natural caves. The prediction of function showed that various enzymes, including ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase, 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase, nitrogenase NifH, and Nitrite reductase, involved in carbon and nitrogen cycles were detected in Zhijin cave. Additionally, the modularity indices of all co-occurrence network were greater than 0.40 and the species interactions were complex across different sample types. Cooccurring positive interactions in the bacteria groups in different phyla were also observed. Conclusion: These results uncovered that the oligotrophic Zhijin cave maintains the bacterial communities with the diverse metabolic pathways, interdependent and cooperative coexistence patterns. Moreover, as a hotspot for tourism, the composition and diversity of bacterial community are influenced by tourism activities. These afford new insights for further exploring the adaptation of bacteria to extreme environments and the conservation of cave ecosystem.

The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak has caused a serious global health emergency. Supporting evidence shows that COVID-19 shares a genomic similarity with other coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and that the pathogenesis and treatment strategies that were applied 17 years ago in combating SARS-CoV and other viral infections could be taken as references in today’s antiviral battle. According to the clinical pathological features of COVID-19 patients, patients can suffer from five steps of progression, starting with severe viral infection and suppression of the immune system and eventually progressing to cytokine storm, multi-organ damage, and lung fibrosis, which is the cause of mortality. Therefore, early prevention of disease progression is important. However, no specific effective drugs and vaccination are currently available, and the World Health Organization is urging the development of novel prevention and treatment strategies. Traditional Chinese medicine could be used as an alternative treatment option or in combination with Western medicine to treat COVID-19, due to its basis on historical experience and holistic pharmacological action. Here, we summarize the potential uses and therapeutic mechanisms of Chinese herbal formulas (CHFs) from the reported literature, along with patent drugs that have been recommended by institutions at the national and provincial levels in China, in order to verify their scientific foundations for treating COVID-19. In perspective, more basic and clinical studies with multiple high-tech and translational technologies are suggested to further confirm the therapeutic efficacies of CHFs.

PD was associated with higher risk of fracture. Patients with PD had more complications and mortality after fracture. Fracture prevention and attention to post-fracture adverse events are needed for this susceptible population.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate fracture risk and post-fracture outcomes in patients with and without liver cirrhosis (LC).DesignRetrospective cohort study and nested fracture cohort study.SettingThis study was based on Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database that included information on: (1) 3941 patients aged 20 years and older newly diagnosed with LC between 2000 and 2003; (2) 688290 hospitalised fracture patients aged 20 years and older between 2006 and 2013.Primary and secondary outcome measuresFollowed-up events of fracture from 2000 to 2008 were noted from medical claims to evaluate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of fracture associated with LC. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs of adverse events after fracture were compared among patients with and without LCResultsThe incidences of fracture for people with and without LC were 29.1 and 17.2 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Compared with controls, the adjusted HR of fracture was 1.83 (95% CI 1.67 to 2.01) for patients with LC. Previous LC was associated with risks of septicaemia (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.60 to 1.96), acute renal failure (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.99), and 30-day in-hospital mortality (OR 1.61, 95 %CI 1.37 to 1.89) after fracture.ConclusionLC was associated with higher risk of fracture; patients with LC in particular had more complications and 30-day in-hospital mortality after fracture. Fracture prevention and attention to post-fracture adverse events are needed for these susceptible populations.