Targeting Gli1, a potential diagnostic marker of ESCC stem cells, will have a profound therapeutic and prognostic value.
Background: Online haemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) may improve middle molecular clearance in contrast to conventional haemodialysis (HD). However, OL-HDF requires higher convective flows and cannot sufficiently remove large middle molecules. This study evaluated the efficacy of a medium cutoff (MCO) dialyser in removing large middle molecular uraemic toxins and compared it with that of conventional high-flux (HF) dialysers in HD and predilution OL-HDF. Methods: Six clinically stable HD patients without residual renal function were investigated. Dialyser and treatment efficacies were examined during a single midweek treatment in three consecutive periods: 1) conventional HD using an HF dialyser, 2) OL-HDF using the same HF dialyser, and 3) conventional HD using an MCO dialyser. Treatment efficacy was assessed by calculating the reduction ratio (RR) for β2-microglobulin (β2M), myoglobin, κ and λ free light chains (FLCs), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 and measuring clearance for FLCs. Results: All three treatments showed comparable RRs for urea, phosphate, creatinine, and uric acid. MCO HD showed greater RRs for myoglobin and λFLC than did HF HD and predilution OL-HDF (myoglobin: 63.1 ± 5.3% vs. 43.5 ± 8.9% and 49.8 ± 7.3%; λFLC: 43.2 ± 5.6% vs. 26.8 ± 4.4% and 33.0 ± 9.2%, respectively; P < 0.001). Conversely, predilution OL-HDF showed the greatest RR for β2M, whereas MCO HD and HF HD showed comparable RRs for β2M (predilution OL-HDF vs.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is associated with cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated whether NAFLD was associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) in participants without a previous history of cardiovascular disease and whether this association differed according to sex and obesity status after adjustment for other atherosclerosis risk factors, alcohol intake, and liver enzyme levels. Among 67,441 participants, data from 8,705 participants who underwent a fatty liver status and CAC assessment during routine health screening were analysed. CAC scores were calculated using computed tomography. NAFLD was diagnosed in patients with evidence of liver steatosis on ultrasonography. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m 2. Multivariate analysis showed a significant association between NAFLD and CAC in non-obese participants (odds ratio, 1.24 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.53]), whereas NAFLD and CAC were not associated in obese participants. Interaction analysis showed that the association between NAFLD and CAC was influenced by sex and obesity. Subgroup analysis revealed a significant association between NAFLD and CAC in non-obese male participants (odds ratio, 1.36 [1.07-1.75]), but not in female participants. Our study indicates that non-obese men with NAFLD are prone to CAC. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death, and its contribution to the overall disease burden is expected to increase. Therefore, there have been worldwide efforts to identify cardiovascular risk factors 1,2. Obesity is a well-established risk factor for CVD and mortality 3 ; however, recent studies have reported the localized distribution of body fat rather than overall obesity 4,5. In one study, regional fat distribution was shown to have a significant association with the risk of coronary heart disease after adjusting for body mass index (BMI) 4. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, but its clinical manifestation is not confined to the liver. Moreover, it has been associated with an increased prevalence and incidence of CVD 6-8. NAFLD is a highly prevalent metabolic abnormality closely linked to the overweight and obesity epidemic 8-10. In tertiary liver centres, a majority of patients with NAFLD also have an increased BMI, but approximately 1 out of 8 NAFLD patients has normal BMI 11. Globally, the prevalence of NAFLD in the non-obese population has been widely reported, ranging from 3% to 30% 12. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a non-invasive predictor of the burden of coronary atherosclerosis and is evaluated using computed tomography (CT). CAC scores have been reported to be associated with increased
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.