Browsing by Author "Zhang, Tianyi"

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    Obesity-related IL-18 Impairs T-Regulatory Cell Function and Promotes Lung Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury
    (American Thoracic Society, 2021) Akimova, Tatiana; Zhang, Tianyi; Christensen, Lanette M.; Wang, Zhonglin; Han, Rongxiang; Negorev, Dmitry; Samanta, Arabinda; Sasson, Isaac E.; Gaddapara, Trivikram; Jiao, Jing; Wang, Liqing; Bhatti, Tricia R.; Levine, Matthew H.; Diamond, Joshua M.; Beier, Ulf H.; Simmons, Rebecca A.; Cantu, Edward; Wilkes, David S.; Lederer, David J.; Anderson, Michaela; Christie, Jason D.; Hancock, Wayne W.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Rationale: Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a severe form of acute lung injury, leading to increased early morbidity and mortality after lung transplant. Obesity is a major health problem, and recipient obesity is one of the most significant risk factors for developing PGD. Objectives: We hypothesized that T-regulatory cells (Tregs) are able to dampen early ischemia–reperfusion events and thereby decrease the risk of PGD, whereas that action is impaired in obese recipients. Methods: We evaluated Tregs, T cells, and inflammatory markers, plus clinical data, in 79 lung transplant recipients and 41 liver or kidney transplant recipients and studied two groups of mice on a high-fat diet (HFD), which did (“inflammatory” HFD) or did not (“healthy” HFD) develop low-grade inflammation with decreased Treg function. Measurements and Main Results: We identified increased levels of IL-18 as a previously unrecognized mechanism that impairs Tregs’ suppressive function in obese individuals. IL-18 decreases levels of FOXP3, the key Treg transcription factor, decreases FOXP3 di- and oligomerization, and increases the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of FOXP3. IL-18–treated Tregs or Tregs from obese mice fail to control PGD, whereas IL-18 inhibition ameliorates lung inflammation. The IL-18–driven impairment in Tregs’ suppressive function before transplant was associated with an increased risk and severity of PGD in clinical lung transplant recipients. Conclusions: Obesity-related IL-18 induces Treg dysfunction that may contribute to the pathogenesis of PGD. Evaluation of Tregs’ suppressive function together with evaluation of IL-18 levels may serve as a screening tool to identify obese individuals with an increased risk of PGD before transplant.
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    Periodontal health: A national cross‐sectional study of knowledge, attitudes and practices for the public oral health strategy in China
    (Wiley, 2019-04) Zhao, Qian; Wang, Shi-Bin; Xu, Guodong; Song, Yiqing; Han, Xiaozhe; Liu, Zhiqiang; Zhou, Xuan; Zhang, Tianyi; Huang, Kewu; Yang, Ting; Lin, Yingxiang; Wu, Sinan; Wang, Zuomin; Wang, Chen; Epidemiology, School of Public Health
    Aim To assess the status of periodontal health knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among Chinese adults. Materials and Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 50,991) aged 20 years or older from ten provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Percentages of Chinese adults with correct periodontal knowledge, positive periodontal attitudes, and practices were estimated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the related factors. Results Less than 20% of Chinese adults were knowledgeable about periodontal disease. Very few (2.6%) of Chinese adults use dental floss ≥once a day and undergo scaling ≥once a year and visit a dentist (6.4%) in the case of gingival bleeding. Periodontal health KAP was associated with gender, age, body mass index, marital status, place of residence, education level, income, smoking status, and history of periodontal disease. Conclusions Periodontal health KAP are generally poor among the Chinese adult population. Community‐based health strategies to improve periodontal health KAP need to be implemented. Increasing knowledge of periodontal disease, the cultivation of correct practices in response to gingival bleeding, and the development of good habits concerning the use of dental floss and regular scaling should be public oral health priorities.