No abstract

Obesity and diabetes are increasing in epidemic proportions globally. Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) is an inflammatory adipocytokine and obesity-related marker of low-grade inflammation. We aimed to investigate, for first time, the possible role of LCN-2 expression and serum levels in prediction of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among obese Egyptian women. This study included 188 obese women and 180 controls. Obese women were subdivided into three subgroups according to their fasting blood glucose, normal glucose tolerance (NGT), IGT and T2DM. Circulating LCN-2 expression levels were determined by real time polymerase chain reaction. Serum LCN-2 concentrations were assessed by ELISA. Our findings revealed that LCN-2 expression and serum levels were higher in obese women compared to lean controls. They were higher in IGT and T2DM obese cases than in NGT obese women. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed that LCN-2 expression level was a useful biomarker discriminating IGT from NGT and T2DM from IGT obese women (AUC were 0.735 and 0.740, respectively). It was an independent predictor of IGT and T2DM among obese women. Serum LCN-2 level was a useful biomarker discriminating IGT from NGT and T2DM from IGT obese women (AUC were 0.705 and 0.728, respectively). It was independent predictor of T2DM without predicting IGT among obese women. The power of combined LCN-2 serum levels and expression in discriminating between IGT from NGT and T2DM from IGT obese women was high (AUC 5 0.717 and 0.741, respectively). In conclusion, LCN-2 expression and serum levels could discriminate IGT from NGT and T2DM from IGT obese women and early predicting T2DM among obese women. While, LCN-2 expression level was the independent predictor of IGT in obese women. Combination of both LCN-2 expression and serum levels improved their diagnostic value in early detection of IGT and T2DM among obese women. V C 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(2): [88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97] 2017

Background No chemotherapeutic agents have been standardised for transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE). In particular, doxorubicin has no defined optimal dosage in TACE procedures. We compared low versus currently used dose of doxorubicin for TACE in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in terms of severity of post-embolisation syndrome (PES) and overall survival (OS). Methods From October 2014 to March 2018, we enrolled patients with primary HCC scheduled for TACE. Patients were randomised to receive 50 mg (group A) or 100 mg (group B) of doxorubicin. Outcomes were the rate of patients with PES; free-time-to-PES; changes in laboratory results; tumour response at 1, 3, and 6 months after TACE; and overall survival. Results Twenty-eight patients (24 males, 4 females) were enrolled, aged 58.9 ± 6.8 years (mean ± standard deviation). Fifteen of them palliated with 50 mg (group A) and 13 with 100 mg (group B) of doxorubicin for a total of 68 TACE procedures (of 28 patients who had repeated TACE procedures). Visual analogue scale (VAS) and duration of pain were significantly differently lower in group A than in group B (p < 0.001). The median duration of fever was shorter in group A than in group B (p = 0.003). No significant differences between both groups were observed for tumour response to TACE and OS. The doxorubicin dose was significantly correlated with duration of pain, fever, and VAS score. Conclusion A lower dose of doxorubicin (50 mg) was associated with fewer PES symptoms compared with 100 mg, without effects on tumour response nor OS.

We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of combination of sofosbuvir with ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir ± ribavirin as a retreatment option for experienced Egyptian patients who failed previous sofosbuvir, daclatasvir ± ribavirin therapy. A total of 75 treatment-experienced patients were allocated for the completion of their treatment period according to criteria formed by the national committee for control of viral hepatitis. The enrolled patients were followed up throughout treatment, at the end of treatment and 3 months after the end of the treatment by clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations. 27 patients were treated with sofosbuvir with ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir plus ribavirin for 12 weeks while 48 patients were treated with sofosbuvir with ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir without ribavirin for 24 weeks. The per-protocol sustained virological response at week 12 (SVR12) rate was 100% in both groups while the intentionto-treat SVR12 was 93.4% in all patients, 97.9% in the 24 weeks group and 85.2% in the 12 weeks group. The regimen was well tolerated and the most common adverse effects observed across treatment and during follow-up period included fatigue (38.6%) and headache (29.3%), withdrawal due to adverse effects occurred in 6.6%. We can conclude that retreatment with sofosbuvir with ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir ± ribavirin is well tolerated and achieved high SVR12 rates in chronic HCV Egyptian patients with previous sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir treatment failure. Ribavirin free regimen for 24 weeks exerted significant lesser adverse effects.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may affect lipid metabolism by enhancing the circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines, together with its impact on endothelial function. AIM To evaluate the potential correlation of changes in lipid profile, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and ankle-brachial index with the severity of fibrosis, grades of esophageal varices (EVs), and fibrosis indices. METHODS The study included 240 subjects who were divided into 3 groups; group 1 ( n = 90, HCV-related cirrhotic patients with EVs), group 2 ( n = 90, HCV-related cirrhotic patients without EVs), and group 3 ( n = 60, served as the healthy control group). All patients underwent routine laboratory tests, including a lipid profile assay. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)/platelet count and platelet/splenic diameter ratios were calculated. Abdominal ultrasonography, CIMT by carotid Doppler, bedside ankle-brachial index (ABI), liver stiffness measurement, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were performed. RESULTS Multivariate logistic regression revealed that very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) (β = 0.988, odds ratio 2.5, P = 0.001), LDL/platelet count ratio (β = 1.178, odds ratio 3.24, P = 0.001), CIMT (β = 1.37, odds ratio 3.9, P = 0.001), and ABI (β = 2.3, odds ratio 5.9, P = 0.001) were the key variables associated with significant fibrosis, EVs and endothelial dysfunction. CIMT and LDL/platelet count ratio were predictive of advanced fibrosis and EVs at cutoff values of 1.1 mm and 1 mm, respectively, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.966 and 0.960 ( P = 0.001), while VLDL and ABI at a cutoff of 16.5 mg/dL and 0.94 were predictive of advanced fibrosis and EVs with an AUC of 0.891 and 0.823, respectively ( P = 0.001). CONCLUSION CIMT, ABI, VLDL, LDL/platelet count ratio are good non-invasive predictors of advanced fibrosis, presence of EVs, and endothelial dysfunction in liver cirrhosis.