Non-alcoholic Group Research Articles

High levels of serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein are associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese people: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity have become one of the most common chronic diseases, and the global prevalence is increasing year by year. Both are accompanied by hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). At present, there are many predictors of NAFLD. Exploring the relationship between hs-CRP and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese people will be helpful for risk prediction and clinical screening in high-risk populations.ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between levels of serum hs-CRP and the presence of NAFLD in non-obese people.MethodsA total of 6558 participants who underwent physical examination from March 2017 to November 2017. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to analyze the risk factors associated with NAFLD.ResultsThis study including 4240 males and 2318 females ranging from 20 to 94 years. In 1396 patients with NAFLD, the prevalence rate was 21.3%, among which 1056 (24.9%) males and 340 (14.7%) females had NAFLD. The prevalence of NAFLD was much higher in males compared to females (χ2 = 93.748, P < 0.001). In the nonalcoholic fatty liver group, various factors including hs-CRP, age, WC, BMI, systolic blood pressure and blood pressure diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher than those in the control group. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that hs-CRP was an independent risk factor for NAFLD, even after adjusting for relevant variables.ConclusionsThe prevalence of NAFLD increases with the level of hs-CRP in both men and women who are non-obese. Hs-CRP levels are an important risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese individuals.

Linking NAFLD and Nephrolithiasis: A CT-Based Investigation

Objective: To evaluate the association between NAFLD and renal stone detected on computed tomography. Method: This study encompassed 240 patients who underwent noncontrast CT abdomen-pelvis computed tomography between November 2023 and April 2024. The nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group included those who had a reduced mean Hounsfield unit (HU) of the right lobe, lateral and left medial segment of the liver as compared to that of the spleen. The control group included patients who had liver parenchyma HU larger than spleen HU. All patients were examined for the presence or absence of radiopaque kidney, ureter, or urinary bladder stones, whether symptomatic or not. Results: From 240 patients, 122 were healthy (50.8%) without NAFLD or renal stone disease. NAFLD was found in 88 individuals with a mean age of 46.8±17.7 years, 42 (47.7%) males and 46 (52.3%) women. Renal stone disease was detected in 70 patients, accounting for 29.1% of the total. The average age of these patients was 43.7± 19.3 years, with 32 males and 38 females. Forty individuals with NAFLD had renal stones (45.5%) which was significantly more than the prevalence in those who are NAFLD negative 13 (19.7%), p &lt;0.001. Females with NAFLD had a considerably greater renal stone rate (52.2%) compared to those without NAFLD (16.3%), P &lt; 0.001. Conclusion: Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) had a significantly higher incidence of renal stone disease compared to persons with a healthy liver, especially among women.

Influence of lifestyle patterns on depression among adults with diabetes: a mediation effect of dietary inflammatory index

BackgroundLifestyle has become a crucial modulator in the management of diabetes and is intimately linked with the development and exacerbation of comorbid depression. The study aimed to analyze lifestyle patterns and their impact on depression in individuals with diabetes and to explore the role of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) in the relationship between lifestyle patterns and depression.MethodsData was attained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2009 and 2020. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on 3,009 diabetic adults based on lifestyle behaviors. A generalised linear model (GLM) was employed to analyse the effects of different lifestyle patterns on depression. The mediation effect model was utilised to examine the relationship between lifestyle patterns, DII and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores.ResultsThe cohort was divided through LCA into unhealthy lifestyle (44.53%), unhealthy but non-alcohol use (48.06%) and healthy but smoking (7.41%) groups of lifestyle behaviors, the unhealthy but non-alcohol use group was identified as a risk factor for depression (OR = 1.379, 95%CI = 1.095 ~ 1.735, P = 0.006). The DII partially mediated the relationship between the unhealthy but non-alcohol use group and PHQ-9, and fully mediated the relationship between the healthy but smoking group and PHQ-9, with effect coefficients of − 0.018 (95%CI: −0.044 ~ − 0.001) and − 0.035 (95%CI: −0.083 ~ − 0.001).ConclusionsLifestyle patterns significantly influence the occurrence of depression among diabetes patients. The dietary inflammation plays a varying mediating role between different lifestyle patterns and depression. Restricting pro-inflammatory diets or encouraging anti-inflammatory diets, combined with the promotion of healthy lifestyle practices, may be an effective method for preventing and alleviating symptoms of depression among patients with diabetes.

The impact of inflammatory cells on lung function in asthmatics in a cross sectional retrospect study

BackgroundLimited data exists on the impact of inflammatory cells and clinical characteristics on lung function in individuals with asthma. ObjectiveThe objective is to examine the correlation between increased inflammatory cells, asthma symptoms, and lung function in patients with asthma in a clinical setting. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted on 234 individuals suspected of having asthma in Xian, China between January 2008 and December 2021. Of those, 143 patients with complete clinical feature and lung function data were enrolled to examine the relationship between increased inflammatory cells, asthma symptoms, and lung function. Basic characteristics, blood eosinophil count, blood neutrophil count, blood platelet count, blood C-reactive protein (CRP), and comprehensive lung function analysis were evaluated at each inpatient for the 143 adult asthmatics. The association between inflammatory cells and clinical parameters with pulmonary function was compared. ResultsThe results of the study showed that individuals in the alcohol intake group had elevated blood eosinophil count compared to those in the non-alcohol intake group (P = 0.024). Long-acting inhaled beta 2 agonists and antibiotic therapy were associated with lower blood eosinophil count (P = 0.021 and P = 0.049, respectively) compared to other therapy. There was a independent association between blood eosinophil counts and FEV1 pre- and post-therapy in asthma but there was a markedly correlation between blood eosinophil counts and FEV1/FVC pre-and post-therapy in Asthma (P = 0.007). Blood neutrophil counts were inversely correlated with FEV1/FVC after treatment (P = 0.032). Night onset in asthma was positively correlated with blood neutrophil counts, while fever was negatively correlated with blood CRP (P = 0.028). Platelet counts >300 × 109/L after treatment were significantly associated with a decline in FEV (<0.001) in patients with asthma. Elevated blood eosinophil count was independently associated with clinical features in asthma. ConclusionsBased on the study's findings, there is a significant decline in FEV1/FVC among individuals with elevated blood eosinophil count, both pre- and post-bronchodilator while there was a independent relationship between blood eosinophil counts and FEV1 pre-and post-therapy in asthma. This suggests that increased levels of eosinophils may independently associated contribute to reduced lung function in asthma patients.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and heavy alcohol consumption increase mortality:A nationwide study.

The effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the prognosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remain unclear. We investigated all-cause and cause-specific mortality according to the amount of alcohol consumed by Asian individuals with MAFLD. This nationwide retrospective study included 996,508 adults aged 40-79years who underwent health check-ups between 2009 and 2012. Participants were categorized by the alcohol consumption-non-alcohol, moderate alcohol, and heavy alcohol group (≥ 30g/day for men, ≥ 20g/day for women) and by the combination of the presence or absence of MAFLD. Hepatic steatosis was defined as the fatty liver index ≥ 30. Cox analyses were used to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and MAFLD and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. MAFLD significantly increased all-cause, liver-, and cancer-related mortality. Individuals with both MAFLD and heavy alcohol consumption expressed the highest mortality risk in liver-related mortality compared to non-MAFLD and non-alcohol group (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 9.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 8.20-12.29). Regardless of MAFLD, heavy alcohol consumption increased the risk of liver- and cancer-related mortality. MAFLD and heavy alcohol consumption increased all-cause, liver-, and cancer-related mortality. Heavy alcohol consumption and MAFLD synergistically increase liver-related mortality.

Health Inequalities and Nutritional Factors Affecting the Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease of Korean Adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2018

The aim of this study was to reduce the health inequalities by extracting subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and examining the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nutritional factors. Among a total of 13,686 patients, 1604 (11.4%) nonalcoholic fatty liver disease groups were classified using the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease liver fat score method. The proportion of those who answered that they were unhealthy on their own in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group was high, the quality of life was significantly lower, and the rate of not being able to eat a nutritionally balanced diet due to economic difficulties was also higher. The factors affecting the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease include male (OR 1.66), low-income level (OR 3.08), living in large cities (OR 1.62), overweight or obesity (OR 3.47), alcohol intake (OR 2.62), subjective body image as fat (OR 2.02), and high levels of stress (OR 1.81). For nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can increase the therapeutic effect through lifestyle improvement, individual living conditions have been shown to have a large influence, and if there are areas with relatively poor nutritional equity, active management and intervention are required.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Continuous Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents with Overweight/Obesity.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the leading cause of pediatric chronic liver disease. Although nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is closely associated with obesity, its relationship with metabolic syndrome in children is not fully understood. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and a combination of cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents with overweight/obesity, using a pediatric metabolic syndrome score (PsiMS) to predict metabolic syndrome. A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Subjects with overweight/obesity aged 10 to 17 followed at two clinical centers in Portugal (2018 - 2021) were enrolled. The independent association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with PsiMS, and of other potential predictors, was tested through multiple regression analyses. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was performed to estimate the optimal cutoff of PsiMS to discriminate metabolic syndrome. Eighty-four subjects were included (median age at baseline 11.5 years). The prevalence rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was 51% and the prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome was 7%. The mean PsiMS was 2.05 ± 0.48 at the first evaluation, and 2.11 ± 0.52 at the last evaluation (mean follow-up time was 15 months). The nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group had significantly (p < 0.05) higher weight and body mass index z-scores, higher rate of severe obesity and higher waist circumference percentile. PsiMS was highly accurate in predicting metabolic syndrome (area under the curve = 0.96), with an optimal cutoff of 2.46 (sensitivity 100%, specificity 89%). In the univariate analysis, no statistically significant association was observed between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and PsiMS. In the multiple regression analysis, female sex had a negative association with PsiMS (first and last evaluation). Independent predictors of a higher PsiMS at first evaluation were: ≥ 2 metabolic syndrome criteria, body mass index z-score, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. At the last evaluation, independent predictors of a higher PsiMS were: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, baseline PsiMS and body mass index increase from baseline. The results suggest a good performance of the PsiMS to assess metabolic syndrome and that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with PsiMS at follow-up.

A Plasma Exosomal Metabolic Profiling of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients Complicated with Impaired Fasting Glucose.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is considered as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Detection of circulating exosomes together with metabolomic analysis of their cargo would provide early signals for metabolic derangements and complications associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, this study profiled exosomal metabolome of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and impaired fasting glucose. Plasma exosomes were extracted from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients with or without impaired fasting glucose through differential ultracentrifugation. Their metabolite profiles were examined by ultrahigh-performance liquid chrom atography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Pathway analysis was carried out on platform MetaboAnalyst 4.0. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-alone group (n = 26) and age-and gender-comparable nonalcoholic fatty liver disease plus impaired fasting glucose group (n = 13). Although less than and different from their plasma counterparts, a total of 10 significantly differential exosomal metabolites were identified. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease plus impaired fasting glucose group had higher concentrations of linoleic acid, palmitamide, stearamide, and oleamide, as well as a lower concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine [20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)]. Pathway analysis showed an obviously changed metabolism of linoleic acid. Metabolomic analysis of plasma exosomes revealed a distinct change in fatty acids and related pathways in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients with impaired fasting glucose. These preliminary results provide a metabolomic snapshot and basis for further investigation of exosome biology for these patients.

The role of differentially expressed genes and immune cell infiltration in the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): a new exploration based on bioinformatics analysis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of chronic liver disease characterized. The condition ranges from isolated excessive hepatocyte triglyceride accumulation and steatosis (nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), to hepatic triglyceride accumulation plus inflammation and hepatocyte injury (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)) and finally to hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism driving this process is not yet clear. Obtain sample microarray from the GEO database. Extract 6 healthy liver samples, 74 nonalcoholic hepatitis samples, 8 liver cirrhosis samples, and 53 liver cancer samples from the GSE164760 dataset. We used the GEO2R tool for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis of disease progression (nonalcoholic hepatitis healthy group, cirrhosis nonalcoholic hepatitis group, and liver cancer cirrhosis group) and necroptosis gene set. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) is used to evaluate the association between biological pathways and gene features. The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to establish and visualize protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and identify the key functional modules of DEGs, drawn factor-target genes regulatory network. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were also performed. Additionally, immune infiltration patterns were analyzed using the cibersort, and the correlation between immune cell-type abundance and DEGs expression was investigated. We further screened and obtained a total of 152 intersecting DEGs from three groups. 23 key genes were obtained through the MCODE plugin. Transcription factors regulating common differentially expressed genes were obtained in the hTFtarget database, and a TF target network diagram was drawn. There are 118 nodes, 251 edges, and 4 clusters in the PPI network. The key genes of the four modules include METAP2, RPL14, SERBP1, EEF2; HR4A1; CANX; ARID1A, UBE2K. METAP2, RPL14, SERBP1 and EEF2 was identified as the key hub genes. CREB1 was identified as the hub TF interacting with those gens by taking the intersection of potential TFs. The types of key gene changes were genetic mutations. It can be seen that the incidence of key gene mutations is 1.7% in EEF2, 0.8% in METAP2, and 0.3% in RPL14, respectively. Finally, We found that the most significant expression differences of the immune infiltrating cells among the three groups, were Tregs and M2, M0 type macrophages. We identified four hub genes METAP2, RPL14, SERBP1 and EEF2 being the most closely with the process from NASH to cirrhosis to HCC. It is beneficial to examine and understand the interaction between hub DEGs and potential regulatory molecules in the process. This knowledge may provide a novel theoretical foundation for the development of diagnostic biomarkers and gene-related therapy targets in the process.

Exploring heart rate variability in alcohol-dependent subjects using frequency-domain analysis

Background: Alcohol-seeking behavior despite being aware of its adverse effects is defined as alcohol dependence (AD). AD syndrome is a cluster of physiological, behavioral, psychological, and perceptual phenomena that develop subsequent to chronic alcohol ingestion. Ethanol is a potent central nervous system depressant that causes toxic damage to the vasomotor and cardiac autonomic nerve fibers which leads to autonomic imbalance leading to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac deaths. Recording and analyzing the heart rate variability (HRV) using the frequency-domain method delineate the autonomic imbalance in alcoholic individuals which may be due to reduced parasympathetic activity and/or sympathetic hyperactivity. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess and compare the cardiac autonomic function between the AD group and the non-alcoholic control group using the frequency domain method of HRV. Materials and Methods: A total of 55 alcohol-dependent individuals in the age group of 20–55 years were selected from the psychiatry outpatient department, based on the International Classification of Diseases-10 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual -IV) criteria as the study population. Fifty-five age and gender-matched healthy volunteers from the master health check-up scheme from the Department of Community Medicine were selected as the control population. Institutional Ethical Committee clearance was obtained. After obtaining informed written consent from the individuals, the short-term 5 min HRV was recorded in the supine position with eyes closed. The results were analyzed and interpreted. Statistical analysis was done using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0. Results: The frequency domain parameters high frequency (HF) which is a specific marker of parasympathetic activity was significantly reduced, and low frequency (LF) which is a marker of sympathetic activity was significantly increased in the alcoholic group compared to the non-alcoholic group, respectively. The LF: HF ratio which denotes sympathetic-vagal balance was increased in the alcohol-dependent group. Conclusion: HF was decreased, LF and LF: HF ratio was increased in alcoholic-dependent individuals indicating autonomic imbalance with reduced parasympathetic activity and increased sympathetic activity which suggests that alcohol affects the cardiac autonomic status. This concludes that the frequency domain method of HRV could be used as a short-term non-invasive test to assess cardiac autonomic dysfunction in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Assessment of cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence – A comparative study

Background: Alcohol intake has long been associated with an increase in disease and mortality. Recent investigations have made a significant contribution to our comprehension of the connection between drinking and particular ailments and have demonstrated that the relationship between alcohol use and its consequences on health is complicated and multifaceted. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate cognition ability in alcoholics with a prolonged history of alcohol intake. Blinded Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to analyze cognition ability. Materials and Methods: It is a comparative study between two study groups. The study includes 30 healthy alcoholic males (experimental group) attending the psychiatric hospital outpatient department and 30 healthy appropriate non-alcoholics (control group) within the age group of 18–45 years of age. The total sample size is n = 60. Results: The age of individuals did not show any statistically significant correlation with alcohol consumption (P = 0.7). In our results, alcohol consumption has a significant impact on cognition. Mean blind MoCA score is found to be 12.5 in alcoholics and 18.9 in non-alcoholics (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: The proportion of heavy, moderate, and light drinkers was found to be 37%, 40%, and 23%, respectively. Blind MoCA score was found to be higher in the non-alcoholic (control) group compared to the alcoholic (experimental) group.

Association between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and high serum ferritin levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The aim of this study was to assess the role of elevated serum ferritin levels in the onset, pathological progression and prognosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has been rapidly increasing worldwide. Despite extensive research on the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a lack of sufficient clinical research on the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and serum ferritin levels remains. We analysed 968 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who underwent liver ultrasound examination and had their serum ferritin levels measured. The presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and advanced liver fibrosis was determined through abdominal ultrasound examination and the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score. Compared to that in the non-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group, the presence of hyperferritinemia was significantly more common in the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group (83.3 vs. 56.3%, p=0.005). When patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were stratified by the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score, those with advanced liver fibrosis exhibited a higher prevalence of hyperferritinemia (56.3, 78.9, and 88.9% for none, simple steatosis, and advanced fibrosis, respectively; p for trend=0.002). In multivariate logistic regression, liver fibrosis was independently associated with hyperferritinemia (odds ratio [OR] 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-2.02; p=0.014), and this association remained significant in male patients after adjusting for other risk factors (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.43-5.48; p=0.026). Identifying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients at a risk of developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and advanced fibrosis is crucial for implementing timely interventions and improving patient outcomes. This study highlights the potential utility of serum ferritin levels as a serum biomarker for identifying nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients and those at a risk of late-stage fibrosis, particularly in male patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Trauma Patterns in Patients Attending the Emergency Department in Saudi Arabia Following the Impact of Alcohol Consumption on the Trauma Patterns and Its Outcomes in Patients

Background: Alcohol consumption is a common risk factor for traumatic injuries, and its effect on the clinical outcomes of trauma patients remains controversial. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of alcohol on the outcomes of Saudi Arabian trauma patients. Methods: This is a prospective descriptive study conducted over a period of three years, from January 2020 to February 2023. Any adult aged 16 years or above who required emergency care due to any type of trauma was included. Patients were divided into two groups based on alcohol use. We compared demographic characteristics, injury mechanisms, clinical variables, interventions, and outcomes between the two groups. Results: There were 560 patients who reported alcohol consumption and 2590 patients who did not consume alcohol. The alcohol group had higher SBP (p&lt;0.001), lower RR (p&lt;0.001), lower HR (p&lt;0.001), and higher lactate levels (p=0.032). They also had a longer hospital length of stay (10 vs. 7 days, p&lt;0.001), more ventilator days (7 vs. 4 days, p&lt;0.001), higher rates of surgical treatment (44% vs 18%, p&lt;0.001), and higher mortality rates (8% vs. 3%, p&lt;0.001) compared to the non-alcohol group. Conclusion: Our study suggests that alcohol use in patients with trauma is associated with worse clinical outcomes, including longer hospital stays, higher rates of surgical treatment, and increased mortality. These findings have significant implications for clinical practice in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the importance of efforts to limit alcohol intake among Saudi Arabians.

Association Study Between Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase (KMO) Gene and Parkinson's Disease Patients.

The influence of various risk factors such as aging, intricate cellular molecular processes, and lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, and occupational factors has received increased focus in relation to the risk and development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Limited research has been conducted on the assessment of lifestyle impact on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) gene in PD. A total of 164 subjects, including 82 PD cases and 82 healthy individuals, were recruited based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The severity of PD and clinical assessment were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scaling. Sanger sequencing was performed to analyse the KMO gene in the recruited subjects, and case-control studies were conducted. The UPDRS assessment revealed significant impairments in smell, tremors, walking, and posture instability in the late-onset PD cohorts. The HY scaling indicated a higher proportion of late-onset cohorts in stage 2. Moreover, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic groups showed significantly increased levels of 3-HK in late-onset PD. Gene analysis identified missense variants at position g.241593373T > A (rs752312199) and intronic variants at positions g.241592623A > G (rs640718), g.241592800C > A (rs990388262), g.241592802A > C (rs1350160268), g.241592808T > C (rs1478255936), and g.241592812G > T (rs948928931). The alterations in the KMO gene were found to influence the levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK). Genomic analysis revealed a high prevalence of missense mutations in the late-onset PD groups, leading to a decline in 3-HK levels in patients. This leads to the reduction of the progression of disease in late-onset groups which shows that this mutation may lead to the protective effect on the PD subjects. This study suggests the use of KYNA and 3-HK as potential biomarkers in analysing the progression of disease. This study is limited by its small sample size. To overcome this limitation, a larger study involving in greater number of participants is needed to thoroughly investigate the KMO gene and KP metabolites, to enhance our understanding of Parkinson's disease progression, and to enhance diagnostic capabilities.

Sequential ultrasound molecular imaging for noninvasive identification and assessment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in mouse models

Background and objectiveNoninvasive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) assessment is a clinical challenge to the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We aim to develop diagnostic models based on sequential ultrasound molecular imaging (USMI) for the noninvasive identification of NASH in mouse models. MethodsAnimal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of South China Agricultural University. Forty-nine C57BL/6 mice were divided into normal control, non-alcoholic fatty liver, NASH, and hepatitis groups. Sequential USMI was implemented using CD36-targeted microbubbles (MBs-CD36) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)-targeted microbubbles (MBs-ICAM-1) to visualize hepatic steatosis and inflammation. The targeting signal of USMI was quantified as the normalized intensity difference (NID) with the destruction-replenishment method. Correlation analysis was conducted between the NID-MBs-CD36 and pathological steatosis score and between the NID-MBs-ICAM-1 and pathological inflammation score. Finally, diagnostic models combining NID-MBs-CD36 with NID-MBs-ICAM-1 were established for NASH diagnosis. ResultsMBs-CD36 and MBs-ICAM-1 were successfully prepared and used for sequential USMI in all mice. NID-MBs-CD36 values increased with the progression of steatosis, while NID-MBs-ICAM-1 values increased in parallel with the progression of inflammation. A strong positive correlation was identified between NID-MBs-CD36 and pathological steatosis grade (rs = 0.9078, P < 0.0001) and between NID-MBs-ICAM-1 and pathological inflammation grade (rs = 0.9071, P < 0.0001). Among various sequential USMI-based diagnostic models, the serial testing model showed high diagnostic performance in detecting NASH, with 95% sensitivity, 97% specificity, 95% positive predictive values, 97% negative predictive values, and 96% accuracy. ConclusionsSequential USMI using MBs-CD36 and MBs-ICAM-1 allows noninvasive grading of hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Sequential USMI-based diagnostic models hold great potential in the noninvasive identification of NASH.

A Plasma Exosomal Metabolic Profiling of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients Complicated with Impaired Fasting Glucose.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is considered as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Detection of circulating exosomes together with metabolomic analysis of their cargo would provide early signals for metabolic derangements and complications associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, this study profiled exosomal metabolome of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and impaired fasting glucose. Plasma exosomes were extracted from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients with or without impaired fasting glucose through differential ultracentrifugation. Their metabolite profiles were examined by ultrahigh-performance liquid chrom atography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Pathway analysis was carried out on platform MetaboAnalyst 4.0. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-alone group (n = 26) and age-and gender-comparable nonalcoholic fatty liver disease plus impaired fasting glucose group (n = 13). Although less than and different from their plasma counterparts, a total of 10 significantly differential exosomal metabolites were identified. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease plus impaired fasting glucose group had higher concentrations of linoleic acid, palmitamide, stearamide, and oleamide, as well as a lower concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine [20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)]. Pathway analysis showed an obviously changed metabolism of linoleic acid. Metabolomic analysis of plasma exosomes revealed a distinct change in fatty acids and related pathways in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients with impaired fasting glucose. These preliminary results provide a metabolomic snapshot and basis for further investigation of exosome biology for these patients.

Role of Mesencephalic Astrocyte-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has a global prevalence of 25% and is one of the main causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently, the stress response protein mesencephalon-astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been shown to regulate hepatic and systemic metabolic homeostasis.&#x0D; Objectives: The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between mesencephalon-astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor levels with other anthropometric indicators, and its function in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A total of 120 patients with ages ranging between 40 to 73 years were included in this study and their serum samples were collected and kept at -2 °C. The liver function test, lipid profile, and albumin were determined using the automated biochemistry analyzer, while the mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor biomarker was determined by the ELIZA technique.&#x0D; Results: Our study showed that MANF levels decrease with age, and decreased MANF levels are associated with inflammatory phenotypes. The mean levels of ALT, ALP, AST, TSB, and the ALT/AST ratio in the non-alcoholic fatty liver patients were significantly higher than that for the non-fatty liver patients. As well, the mean level of MANF in the non-fatty liver patients was 305.25 ± 110.49 mg/dl which was significantly higher in the non-alcoholic fatty liver group (157.52). (p ≤ 0.001)&#x0D; Conclusion: A novel finding of our study is that the reduction of serum MANF levels is strongly associated with the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disorders and could be used as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of hepatic disorders.

Association between alcohol consumption and subclinical atrial fibrillation

BackgroundIt has become important to identify and manage risk factors for subclinical atrial fibrillation (AF) with an increase in its detection rate. Thus, this research aimed to investigate whether alcohol consumption contributes to the development of subclinical AF.MethodsThis prospective study enrolled 467 patients without AF from a multicenter pacemaker registry. The incidence of subclinical AF (episodes of atrial rate > 220 beats per minute without symptoms) was compared between alcohol-drinking and non-drinking groups.ResultsDuring followup (median 18 months), the incidence and risk of long-duration atrial high-rate episodes (AHRE) ≥ 24 h were increased in the alcohol group compared to the non-alcohol group [5.47 vs. 2.10 per 100 person-years, adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 2.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14–7.04; P = 0.03]. After propensity score matching, the incidence and risk of long-duration AHRE were higher in the alcohol group (6.97 vs. 1.27 per 100 person-years, adjusted HR, 7.84; 95% CI, 1.21–50.93; P = 0.03). The mean burden of long-duration subclinical AF was higher in the alcohol group than in the non-alcohol group (0.18 vs. 1.61% during follow-up, P = 0.08).ConclusionAlcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of subclinical AF. Long-duration AHRE incidence and AHRE burden were higher in alcohol drinkers than in non-drinkers.

Perbandingan Kekerasan Permukaan Resin Komposit Nanofiller Setelah Perendaman Dalam Obat Kumur Beralkohol Dan Non Alkohol

Tooth decay is a major problem for dental and oral health in the surrounding environment. Process Degenerative diseases that start in the enamel and spread to the dentin are part of a disease known as dental caries. Composite resin is a material used for restorations. One of the mechanical properties of nanofiller composite resin, namely surface hardness, can affect the durability of composite resin. The cause that can affect the surface hardness of the composite is the use of mouthwash. Mouthwash, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, can help maintain healthy teeth and mouth. The aim of this research was to determine the comparison of the surface hardness of nanofiller composite resin after immersion in alcoholic and non-alcoholic mouthwash. Materials and methods used are Experimental Laboratories with the Post-test With Control Group Design research design used. A total of 30 nanofiller composite resin samples were soaked for 24 hours in three different groups, namely group I which received distilled water as a control, group II which received mouthwash with 21.6% alcohol, and group III which received mouthwash without 0% alcohol. The Vickers hardness test is the test method used. The results of this research are that the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann Whitney U follow-up test show that the surface hardness comparison is not significant for the nanofiller composite resin in the distilled water and alcohol mouthwash groups, namely (p-value&gt; 0.05), and the surface hardness comparison is significant. on nanofiller composite resin occurred in the alcoholic and non-alcoholic mouthwash immersion group (p-value &lt;0.05). Conclusion: There is a comparison of the immersion surface hardness of alcoholic and non-alcoholic mouthwash in nanofiller composite resin. Soaking alcoholic mouthwash causes the surface hardness value to be very low.

Serum Ferritin and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

Previous studies have shown that hyperferritinemia is a common phenomenon in non-alcoholic fatty liver dis- ease patients. We aim to further explore the relationship between serum ferritin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using a meta-analysis. Four Library databases were electronically searched from inception until December 2021 to find prospective cohort or case-control studies examining the relationship between serum ferritin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and all kinds of literature were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The odds ratio and other related data were extracted, and a meta-analysis was performed. Eleven studies examining the relationship between serum ferritin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were included. The serum ferritin levels in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group were significantly higher than those without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group (1.54 ng/mL, 95% CI: 0.85-2.23, P < .001). Serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in both men and women (odds ratio = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.41-3.93, P = .001 and odds ratio = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.83-4.69, P < .001, respectively), and after adjusting for the parameters, the relationships were still shown to be significant in men and women (odds ratio = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.64-3.05, P < .001 and odds ratio = 3.30, 95% CI: 2.13-5.11, P < .001, respectively). Serum ferritin levels were higher in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease than in those without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and were associated with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in both men and women.