Size In Individuals Research Articles

Comparative Study of Pancreatic Head and Body Size in Diabetic and Nondiabetic Individuals Age Group >65 Years by USG

Abstract Background and Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is the collective term for disorders affecting glucose homeostasis. The pancreas is situated in the retroperitoneum within the anterior pararenal fascial space and positioned anteriorly to the aorta and inferior vena cava. Specifically, the pancreas is commonly located just below the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. Ultrasound imaging serves as a valuable tool for acquiring detailed information about the pancreas, encompassing factors such as pancreatic size, echotexture, ductal anatomy, and the surrounding structures. This imaging modality not only facilitates diagnostic evaluations but also allows for interventional procedures, all accomplished efficiently within a brief time frame and at a minimal cost. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and fifty healthy adults as controls and 150 diabetic patients of the same age group >65 years of age group were evaluated by ultrasound sonography. Results: The mean pancreatic head and body is 2.01 ± 0.38 cm and 1.26 ± 0.18 cm, respectively, in diabetic participants, whereas in controls, it is 2.40 ± 0.13 cm and 1.59 ± 0.17 cm. This showed a significant decrease in pancreatic head and body size in diabetic individuals. Interpretation and Conclusions: Diabetic individuals exhibit smaller pancreatic head and body compared to normal controls.

Age and Body Size of the Endemic and Critically Endangered Frog Species Rana tavasensis (Baran and Atatür, 1986) in Türkiye.

This study used skeletochronology to assess the relationships between age and body length among individuals in a population of the Tavas Frog (Rana tavasensis), located in the Çakıroluk plateau, Tavas district, Denizli province. The age varied from 3 to 12 years in both adult males and females. The age was 2 years in two subadult males, while it was 1 year in one juvenile specimen. The mean SVL and age of the adult individuals of the Çakıroluk population were 62.75 mm and 6.70 years in male specimens and 58.04 mm and 6.12 years in female specimens. A positive correlation was found between body size (SVL) and age in adult female and male individuals of the species. Because the number of individuals of the species is rapidly decreasing, species protection measures, based on knowledge related to the age structure and breeding features of these frogs, must be put into action urgently.

Sport PRactice and its Effects on aortic size and valve function in bicuspid Aortic valve Disease: a cross-sectional report from the SPREAD study

ObjectiveConcerns exist about the possible detrimental effects of exercise training on aortic size and valve function in individuals with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). This multicentre international study aimed to determine...

Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity Effects of a Magnetic Zeolite Composite in Daphnia magna (Straus, 1820).

Zeolite type 5A combined with the magnetic properties of maghemite nanoparticles facilitate the rapid absorption of heavy metals, which makes them an interesting proposal for the remediation of water contaminated with lead and arsenic. However, the physicochemical analysis related to concentration and size for the use of this magnetic zeolite composite (MZ0) in water bodies and the possible toxicological effects on aquatic fauna has not yet been carried out. The main objective of the research work is to determine lethal concentrations that cause damage to Daphnia magna based on LC50 tests, morphology, reproductive rate, and quantification of the expression of three genes closely involved in the morphological development of vital structures (Glass, NinaE, Pph13). To achieve this objective, populations of neonates and young individuals were used, and results showed that the LC50 for neonates was 11,314 mg L-1, while for young individuals, it was 0.0310 mg L-1. Damage to morphological development was evidenced by a decrease in eye size in neonates, an increase in eye size in young individuals, variations in the size of the caudal spine for both age groups, and slight increases in the heart size, body, and antenna for both age groups. The reproductive rate of neonates was not affected by the lower concentrations of MZ0, while in young individuals, the reproductive rate decreased by more than 50% from the minimum exposure concentration of MZ0. And for both ages, Glass gene expression levels decreased as the MZ0 concentration increased. Also, the MZ0 evidenced its affinity for the exoskeleton of D. magna, which was observed using both light microscopy and electron microscopy. It is concluded that MZ0 did not generate significant damage in the mortality, morphology, reproductive rate, or gene expression in D. magna at lower concentrations, demonstrating the importance of evaluating the possible impacts on different life stages of the cladoceran.

Determinants of thoracic aortic size in normotensive and hypertensive individuals.

Thoracic aortic diameter is modulated by various factors including both physiological and pathological mechanisms. The aim of this study was to explore the determinants of thoracic aortic size focusing on arterial blood pressure and physical activity in normotensive and hypertensive individuals. Ascending and descending aortic diameters were measured in participants of the Copenhagen General Population Study using thoracic CT angiography. To assess the relation between arterial blood pressure and thoracic aortic diameters, individuals with diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and prescribed antihypertensive medication were excluded. Intensity of physical activity was recorded based on self-reported questionnaire data. A total of 1214 normotensive and 284 hypertensive individuals were examined. In all individuals, male sex, older age, and body surface area were associated with higher diameters of the ascending and descending aorta ( P < 0.01). In normotensive individuals, hard physical activity > 4 h/week was independently associated with higher thoracic aortic diameters (ascending β:1.09[0.52;1.66] and descending β : 0.47[0.14;0.80], both P < 0.01), whereas higher systolic blood pressure was not associated with thoracic aortic diameters (ascending P = 0.12 and descending p = 0.33). In hypertensive individuals, higher systolic blood pressure (per 10 mmHg) was independently associated with higher thoracic aortic diameters (ascending β : 0.55[0.17;0.94] and descending β : 0.23[0.10;0.37] mm/10 mmHg, both P < 0.01), whereas hard physical activity was not associated with higher aortic diameters (ascending P = 0.11 and descending P = 0.51). In normotensive individuals hard physical activity, and in hypertensive individuals increasing systolic blood pressure are factors each independently associated with larger thoracic aortic size. These findings suggest a context sensitive mode of aortic vascular response to size modulating adaptation.

Abnormal Development of the Corpus Callosum in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An MRI Study.

Altered size in the corpus callosum (CC) has been reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but few studies have investigated younger children. Moreover, knowledge about the age-related changes in CC size in individuals with ASD is limited. Our objective was to investigate the age-related size of the CC and compare them with age-matched healthy controls between the ages of 2 and 18 years. Structural-weighted images were acquired in 97 male patients diagnosed with ASD; published data were used for the control group. The CC was segmented into 7 distinct subregions (rostrum, genu, rostral body, anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium) as per Witelson's technique using ITK-SNAP software. We calculated both the total length and volume of the CC as well as the length and height of its 7 subregions. The length of the CC measures was studied as both continuous and categorical forms. For the continuous form, Pearson's correlation was used, while categorical forms were based on age ranges reflecting brain expansion during early postnatal years. Differences in CC measures between adjacent age groups in individuals with ASD were assessed using a Student t-test. Mean and standard deviation scores were compared between ASD and control groups using the Welch t-test. Age showed a moderate positive association with the total length of the CC (r = 0.43; Padj = 0.003) among individuals with ASD. Among the subregions, a positive association was observed only in the anterior midbody of the CC (r = 0.41; Padj = 0.01). No association was found between the age and the height of individual subregions or with the total volume of the CC. In comparison with healthy controls, individuals with ASD exhibited shorter lengths and heights of the genu and splenium of the CC across wide age ranges. Overall, our results highlight a distinct abnormal developmental trajectory of CC in ASD, particularly in the genu and splenium structures, potentially reflecting underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that warrant further investigation.

Impairments in peroneal muscle size and activation in individuals with patellofemoral pain in weight-bearing position.

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is characterized by chronic pain in the anterior aspect of the knee during loading activities. Many studies investigating muscle morphology changes for individuals with PFP focus on the proximal joints, however, few studies have investigated muscles of the foot and ankle complex. This study aimed to explore the differences in peroneal muscle size and activation between individuals with PFP and healthy controls using ultrasound imaging in weight-bearing. A case-control study in a university lab setting was conducted. Thirty individuals with PFP (age: 20.23±3.30years, mass: 74.70±27.63kgs, height: 161.32±11.72cm) and 30 healthy individuals (age: 20.33±3.37years, mass: 64.02±11.00kgs, height: 169.31±9.30cm) participated. Cross-sectional area (CSA) images of the peroneal muscles were taken in non-weight bearing and weight-bearing positions. The functional activation ratio from lying to single-leg standing (SLS) was calculated. There was a statistically significant (p=0.041) group (PFP, healthy) by position (non-weight-bearing, weight-bearing) interaction for the peroneal muscle CSA with a Cohen's d effect size of 0.2 in non-weight-bearing position and 0.7 in weight-bearing position. The functional activation ratio for the healthy group was significantly more (p=0.01) than the PFP group. Peroneal muscles were found to be smaller in size in those with PFP compared to the healthy subjects in the weight-bearing SLS position. This study found that those with PFP have lower activation of peroneal muscles in functional position.

Automated evaluation of hip abductor muscle quality and size in hip osteoarthritis: Localized muscle regions are strongly associated with overall muscle quality

Limited information exists regarding abductor muscle quality variation across its length and which locations are most representative of overall muscle quality. This is exacerbated by time-intensive processes for manual muscle segmentation, which limits feasibility of large cohort analyses. The purpose of this study was to develop an automated and localized analysis pipeline that accurately estimates hip abductor muscle quality and size in individuals with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis (OA) and identifies regions of each muscle which provide best estimates of overall muscle quality.Forty-four participants (age 52.7 ± 16.1 years, BMI 23.7 ± 3.4 kg/m2, 14 males) with and without mild-to-moderate radiographic hip OA were recruited for this study. Unilateral hip magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired on a 3.0 T MR scanner and included axial T1-weighted fast spin echo and 3D axial Iterative Decomposition of water and fat with Echo Asymmetry and Least-squares estimation (IDEAL-IQ) spoiled gradient-recalled echo (SPGR) with multi-peak fat spectrum modeling and single T2* correction. A three dimensional (3D) V-Net convolutional neural network was trained to automatically segment the gluteus medius (GMED), gluteus minimus (GMIN), and tensor fascia lata (TFL) on axial IDEAL-IQ. Agreement between manual and automatic segmentation and associations between axial fat fraction (FF) estimated from IDEAL-IQ and overall muscle FF were evaluated.Dice scores for automatic segmentation were 0.94, 0.87, and 0.91 for GMED, GMIN, and TFL, respectively. GMED, GMIN, and TFL volumetric and FF measures were strongly correlated (r: 0.92–0.99) between automatic and manual segmentations, where all values fell within the 95% limits of agreement of [−9.79 cm3, 17.43 cm3] and [−1.99%, 2.89%], respectively. Axial FF was significantly associated with overall FF with the strongest correlations at 50%, 50%, and 65% the length of the GMED, GMIN, and TFL muscles, respectively (r: 0.93–0.97). An automated and localized analysis can provide efficient and accurate estimates of hip abductor muscle quality and size across muscle length. Specific regions of the muscle may be used to estimate overall muscle quality in an abbreviated evaluation of muscle quality.

Life History Traits in a Population of &lt;i&gt;Mediodactylus kotschyi&lt;/i&gt; (Steindachner, 1870) from Turkey

This study was carried out by using skeletochronology method to assess the relationships of age and body length of the individuals in a population (located in Kasımlar Village of Sütçüler district of Isparta province) of the Kotschy’s gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi). The mean age and SVL in the individuals belonging to the Kasımlar population were 3.50 ± 0.9 years and 38.65 ± 3.6 mm (3.37 ± 0.59 years and 38.19 ± 2.27 mm in the males, and 3.73 ± 1.27 years and 39.45 ± 5.27 mm in the females). The age range varied between 2 – 4 years in males and 2 – 6 years in females. It was observed that both females and males reached sexual maturity at the age of 2 – 3 years. A positive correlation was found between body size (SVL) and age in female and male individuals of this species.

Attenuated huntingtin gene CAG nucleotide repeat size in individuals with Lynch syndrome

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is thought to contribute to the onset and progression of Huntington disease (HD) by promoting somatic expansion of the pathogenic CAG nucleotide repeat in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Here we have studied constitutional HTT CAG repeat size in two cohorts of individuals with Lynch syndrome (LS) carrying heterozygous loss-of-function variants in the MMR genes MLH1 (n = 12/60; Lund cohort/Bochum cohort, respectively), MSH2 (n = 15/88), MSH6 (n = 21/23), and controls (n = 19/559). The sum of CAG repeats for both HTT alleles in each individual was calculated due to unknown segregation with the LS allele. In the larger Bochum cohort, the sum of CAG repeats was lower in the MLH1 subgroup compared to controls (MLH1 35.40 CAG repeats ± 3.6 vs. controls 36.89 CAG repeats ± 4.5; p = 0.014). All LS genetic subgroups in the Bochum cohort displayed lower frequencies of unstable HTT intermediate alleles and lower HTT somatic CAG repeat expansion index values compared to controls. Collectively, our results indicate that MMR gene haploinsufficiency could have a restraining impact on constitutional HTT CAG repeat size and support the notion that the MMR pathway is a driver of nucleotide repeat expansion diseases.

Assessment of normal renal size in healthy individuals in Pakistan and its influencing factors: A cross-sectional study

Background and objectives. In order to address the need to establish normative benchmark of kidney size in healthy population of Pakistan, this study aimed to assess and quantify the renal sizes in healthy individuals within the Pakistani population using ultrasound imaging. Secondary objectives included examining age-related variations, gender-specific differences, and the correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and kidney measurements. Materials and methods. A five-year retrospective investigation of 509 patients undergoing non-renal abdominal ultrasounds at NIKUD Research Hospital employed strict participant criteria, excluding those with diabetes, hypertension, abnormal eGFR, or urinalysis. Ultrasound data was collected from medical record of patients aged 18-80 years without a history or ongoing renal disease, excluding any conditions impacting renal size. Results. In 480 participants meeting stringent health criteria, the right kidney measured 10.45 ± 0.97 cm, and the left kidney measured 10.64 ± 0.95 cm. Age-related variations included increasing renal length until the fifth decade, followed by decline. Gender-specific differences, though statistically non-significant, suggested slightly larger renal sizes in females. A positive BMI and renal length relationship indicated increased sizes in obese individuals. Conclusions. This study establishes renal size benchmarks in a healthy Pakistani population, highlighting demographic factors' role in assessments. Variations across age, gender, and BMI underscore the need for population-specific norms in clinical evaluations.

Current Recommended Estrogen Dosing for Pubertal Induction in Turner Syndrome Results in Normal Uterine Growth.

Most individuals with Turner syndrome (TS) require estrogen for pubertal induction. Current estrogen dosing guidelines are based on expert consensus opinion. Evaluate whether current international guidelines for estrogen dosing during pubertal induction of individuals with TS result in normal uterine growth. We hypothesized that uterine size in individuals with TS who reached adult estrogen dosing is smaller than in mature females without TS. Cross-sectional study of patients with TS at the Cincinnati Center for Pediatric and Adult Turner Syndrome Care. Twenty-nine individuals (age 15-26 years) with primary ovarian insufficiency who reached adult estrogen dosing (100 µg of transdermal or 2 mg of oral 17β-estradiol) were included. Comparison of uterine measurements with a published sample of 292 age-appropriate (age 15-20 years) controls without TS. Uterine length, volume, and fundal-cervical ratio (FCR) were measured. Clinical information (karyotype, Tanner staging for breast development, laboratory data) was extracted from an existing institutional patient registry. There was no evidence of compromise of the uterine size/configuration in the TS cohort compared with the controls; in fact, uterine length, mean 7.7 cm (±1.3) vs 7.2 cm (±1.0) (P = .03), and volume, mean 60.6 cm3 (±26.6) vs 50.5 cm3 (±20.5) (P = .02), were both larger in individuals with TS. Current international guidelines for hormone replacement using 17β-estradiol in individuals with TS appear adequate to allow for normal uterine growth by the end of pubertal induction.

Evaluation of skin prick location on the forearm using a novel skin prick automated test device.

The skin prick test (SPT) is the gold standard for identifying allergic sensitization in individuals suspected of having an inhalant allergy. Recently, it was demonstrated that SPT using a novel skin prick automated test (SPAT) device showed increased reproducibility and tolerability compared to the conventional SPT, among other benefits. This study aimed to evaluate prick location bias using the novel SPAT device. A total of 118 volunteers were enrolled in this study and underwent SPATs with histamine (nine pricks) and glycerol control (one prick) solutions on the volar side of their forearms. Imaging of the skin reactions was performed using the SPAT device, and the physician determined the longest wheal diameter by visually inspecting the images using a web interface. Prick location bias was assessed along the medial vs. lateral and proximal vs. distal axes of the forearm. In total, 944 histamine pricks were analyzed. Four medial and four lateral histamine pricks were grouped, and wheal sizes were compared. The longest wheal diameters were not significantly different between the medial and lateral prick locations (p = 0.41). Furthermore, the pricks were grouped by two based on their position on the proximal-distal axis of the forearm. No significant difference was observed among the four groups of analyzed prick locations (p = 0.73). The prick location on the volar side of the forearm did not influence wheal size in SPAT-pricked individuals.

The effects of statin therapy on aneurysm size, growth rate, and matrix metalloproteinases-9 levels in patients with aortic aneurysm: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundAortic aneurysm enlargement over time causes rupture, which frequently results in death. The family of proteases known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) is assumed to be proteolytic activity involved in the growth of aortic aneurysms. Statins are pleiotropic lipid-lowering medications with anti-inflammatory action. Statins can lower aneurysmal enlargement and MMP secretion, according to a number of studies, however the evidence is still up for debate. The purpose of this study is to assess how statins affect aortic aneurysm patient's aneurysm diameter size, growth rate, and MMP-9 levels.MethodsFrom January 2000 to December 2022, electronic journal searches in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane were conducted to discover papers evaluating the effects of statin treatment in patients with aortic aneurysm. Aneurysm diameter size, growth rate, and MMP-9 levels were the outcomes we were looking for. Meta-analyses were run on the included studies, and mean differences (MD) and 95% CIs were calculated with Review Manager v5.4.ResultsOur analysis includes a total of ten research. Statin medication substantially reduced aneurysm diameter size by 0.30 mm (P = 0.04; MD − 0.30; 95% CI − 0.58 to − 0.01) and growth rate by 0.34 mm/year (P < 0.00001; MD − 0.34; 95% CI − 0.40 to − 0.29) compared to placebo. There was no significant change in MMP-9 concentrations between individuals with aortic aneurysm who took a statin and those who did not.ConclusionOverall, this meta-analysis demonstrates that statin medication is considerably helpful in reducing aneurysm diameter size and aneurysmal growth rate in individuals with aortic aneurysm.

Neurodevelopmental disorders and microcephaly: how apoptosis, the cell cycle, tau and amyloid-β precursor protein APPly.

Recent studies promote new interest in the intersectionality between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Alzheimer's Disease. We have reported high levels of Amyloid-β Precursor Protein (APP) and secreted APP-alpha (sAPP) and low levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides 1-40 and 1-42 (Aβ40, Aβ42) in plasma and brain tissue from children with ASD. A higher incidence of microcephaly (head circumference less than the 3rd percentile) associates with ASD compared to head size in individuals with typical development. The role of Aβ peptides as contributors to acquired microcephaly in ASD is proposed. Aβ may lead to microcephaly via disruption of neurogenesis, elongation of the G1/S cell cycle, and arrested cell cycle promoting apoptosis. As the APP gene exists on Chromosome 21, excess Aβ peptides occur in Trisomy 21-T21 (Down's Syndrome). Microcephaly and some forms of ASD associate with T21, and therefore potential mechanisms underlying these associations will be examined in this review. Aβ peptides' role in other neurodevelopmental disorders that feature ASD and acquired microcephaly are reviewed, including dup 15q11.2-q13, Angelman and Rett syndrome.

Prevalence of pineal cysts in healthy individuals: Emphasis on size, morphology and pineal recess crowding

The present study aimed to determine prevalence of non-hydrocephalic pineal cysts of different size and morphology in healthy individuals. In a cohort of healthy individuals who as part of research volunteered to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, we performed a systematic search for occurrence of pineal cysts of different sizes, morphology and evidence of crowding of the pineal recess. Degree of crowding in the pineal recess was estimated by the imaging biomarkers anterior-posterior diameter and cyst-tectum-splenium (CTS) ratio at midsagittal MRI. The study included a cohort of 994 healthy individuals, aged 47.0 ± 21.1 years in whom a pineal cyst was demonstrated in 337/994 (37.5%) individuals. A small cyst within a mainly solid gland was observed in 252/994 (25.4%) subjects and a mainly cystic gland in121/994 (12.2%). The pineal cysts were more frequent in women than men, and were associated with age, though not with reduced prevalence in aged individuals, as previously reported. Cysts with maximum anterior-posterior diameter ≥ 10 mm were seen in 51/994 (5.1%) individuals, and with CTS ratio ≥ 0.9 in 16/994 (1.6%) individuals. The occurrence of pineal cysts is frequent and is seen more frequently in women. It usually presents as a small cyst in a predominantly solid gland; however, pineal cysts causing crowding of the pineal recess with a CTS ratio ≥ 0.9 was seen in merely 1.6% of participants.

Applicability of the seated step test for assessing thigh muscle sarcopenia in older individuals

Assessment of lower limb muscle mass and related functions in older individuals is important because of their essential role in maintaining locomotion and activities of daily living. Therefore, a simple and reliable method for assessing these parameters should be established. The seated step test is easy and safe and can be used to assess lower limb agility; however, its relationship to skeletal muscle mass and function remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between the seated step test and lower limb muscle mass and function. For the analysis, we included 85 participants aged 73.1 ± 6.0 years. The participants performed an alternate up-down leg step test for 10 s while seated in a chair. Lower limb muscle mass was measured using bioimpedance analysis. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was calculated using the following equation: lower limb muscle mass (kg) / height2 (m2). As the muscle functional parameters, we measured the isometric knee extension peak torque (KEPT), knee flexion peak torque (KFPT), and rate of torque development (RTD) for isometric knee extension in all participants. The seated step test score had a significant relationship with KEPT, KFPT, and SMI, but not with RTD. In the single regression analysis, the seated step test significantly predicted KEPT, KFPT, and SMI. These results suggest that up-down seated step test can be a reliable method to estimate lower limb muscle size and function in older individuals.

1469-P: Gene-Level Gene–Mediterranean Diet Interaction Detection Influencing Inflammatory and Glycemic Biomarkers in 137,000 UK Biobank Participants

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern strongly reduces type 2 diabetes risk on average, but there is substantial heterogeneity in the long-term glycemic and inflammatory response to dietary changes, likely due in part to genetic factors. Using a genome-wide interaction association analysis in the UK Biobank (UKB) cohort, we sought to prioritize and characterize genes contributing to this heterogeneity in the Mediterranean diet-risk factor relationship. We studied an unrelated, multi-ancestry UKB subset who completed at least one 24-hour diet questionnaire, had available glycemic (hemoglobin A1c; HbA1c) and inflammatory (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; hsCRP) biomarkers measured in blood, and were free of major disease at baseline (N = 136,880). A nine-item, point-based Mediterranean diet score (MDS) based on food group and nutrient intakes was calculated. We conducted a series of genome-wide interaction studies (GWIS) to test for significant variant-diet interactions: one for the MDS itself and one for each sub-component. Variant-level results were aggregated by gene using the MAGMA tool. Gene-level MDS interaction results revealed two genes with false discovery rate &amp;lt; 0.1 for HbA1c: LRRC24 (p = 3.2×10−6) and CCDC40 (p = 3.3×10−6). Gene-level sub-component-specific analysis showed that these two interactions were primarily driven by alcohol and fish intake, respectively, and further prioritized an interaction between intake of nuts and LIN9 gene variants impacting HbA1c (p = 8.8×10−8). Follow-up analysis at the top variant in LIN9, rs9729447, showed a substantial attenuation of the negative nut intake-HbA1c association in major allele carriers and revealed a stronger interaction effect size in individuals who completed at least two dietary questionnaires. Our GWIS analysis suggests that there are locus-specific interactors with Mediterranean diet patterns influencing glycemic and inflammatory health. Disclosure K.E.Westerman: None. J.B.Meigs: Consultant; Quest Diagnostics. A.Manning: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (K01DK133637)

Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and insulin resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving direct-acting antivirals

Background & aimsHepatitis C virus (HCV) interferes with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism causing cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance (IR). Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are highly effective for the eradication of HCV, with positive effects on metabolic health although paradoxically associated with increased total and LDL-cholesterol. The aims of this study were 1) to characterize dyslipidemia (lipoprotein content, number, and size) in naive HCV-infected individuals and 2) to evaluate the longitudinal association of metabolic changes and lipoparticle characteristics after DAA therapy. MethodsWe conducted a prospective study with one-year follow-up. 83 naive outpatients treated with DAAs were included. Those co-infected with HBV or HIV were excluded. IR was analyzed using the HOMA index. Lipoproteins were studied by fast-protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). ResultsFPLC analysis showed that lipoprotein-borne HCV was only present in the VLDL region most enriched in APOE. There was a lack of association between HOMA and total cholesterol or cholesterol carried by LDL or HDL at baseline. Alternatively, a positive association was found between HOMA and total circulating triglycerides (TG), as well as with TG transported in VLDL, LDL, and HDL. HCV eradication with DAAs resulted in a strong and significant decrease in HOMA (−22%) and HDL-TG (−18%) after one-year follow-up. ConclusionsHCV-dependent lipid abnormalities are associated with IR and DAA therapy can reverse this association. These findings may have potential clinical implications as the HDL-TG trajectory may inform the evolution of glucose tolerance and IR after HCV eradication.

Assessment of the corpus callosum size in male individuals with high intelligence quotient (members of Mensa International).

The aim of this study was to assess the size of the corpus callosum in members of Mensa International, which is the world's largest and oldest high-intelligence quotient (IQ) society. We performed T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (Repetition Time, TR = 3200 ms, Time of Echo, TE = 409 ms) to examine the brain of members of Mensa International (Polish national group) in order to assess the size of the corpus callosum. Results from 113 male MENSA members and 96controls in the age range of 21-40years were analyzed. The comparative analysis showed that the mean length of the corpus callosum and the thickness of the isthmus were significantly greater in the Mensa members compared to the control groups. Astatistically significant difference was also identified in the largest linear dimension of the brain from the frontal lobe to the occipital lobe. The mean corpus callosum cross-sectional area and its ratio to the brain area were significantly greater in the Mensa members. The results show that the dimensions (linear measures and midsagittal cross-sectional surface area) of the corpus callosum were significantly greater in the group of Mensa members than in the controls.