Clinical characterization, physical frailty, and depression in elderly patients with psoriasis from a reference center in Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: There are few studies dedicated to the characterization of the geriatric population with psoriasis, which has particularities in terms of clinical manifestations and therapeutic limitations. As psoriasis is a chronic disease, presenting a higher prevalence with age, the increase in life expectancy in Brazil demands knowledge about the behavior of the disease among the elderly. Objectives: To characterize elderly people with psoriasis from a tertiary service, from the clinical-epidemiological point of view, presence of comorbidities, physical frailty, and affective impact, and to compare these aspects with adults with psoriasis and elderly people without the disease. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 64 elderly patients with psoriasis, 64 adults with psoriasis, and 64 elderly patients without the disease. Clinical-demographic aspects, the Beck depression scale, and Skindex-16 were evaluated. Indicators of physical frailty were evaluated in elderly patients: handgrip, sit-to-stand test, fatigue, and weight loss >5%. Results: In the elderly, the mean age (SD) of psoriasis onset was 44 (10) years, men represented 47% of the sample, the prevalence of arthritis was 22%, and ungual involvement occurred in 72%. Topical corticosteroids were used more often among elderly people with psoriasis (100%) than among adults with the disease (86%), with no difference among other systemic treatments. Diabetes mellitus occurred in 30% of the elderly. Hypertension (59%), dyslipidemia (52%), depression (34%), and fatigue (59%) were more prevalent among the elderly with psoriasis than among the healthy controls.

Fungal luminescence pathways: research and applications / 生物工程学报

The fungal bioluminescence pathway (FBP) is a metabolic pathway responsible for the generation of bioluminescence derived from fungi. This pathway utilizes caffeic acid as the substrate, generating a high-energy intermediate, and the decomposition of which yields green fluorescence with a wavelength of approximately 520 nm. The FBP is evolutionally conserved in luminescent fungal groups. Unlike other bioluminescent systems, the FBP is particularly suitable for engineering applications in eukaryotic organisms, especially in plants. Currently, metabolically engineered luminescent plants are able to emit visible light to illuminate its surroundings, which can be visualized clearly in the dark. The fungal bioluminescent system could be explored in various applications in molecular biology, biosensors and glowing ornamental plants, and even green lighting along city streets.

An excerpt of an international Delphi consensus statement on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and risk of chronic kidney disease （2023） / 临床肝胆病杂志

In 2020， an international expert panel proposed to replace nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD）. Recent studies have shown that there is a higher risk of chronic kidney disease （CKD） in the MAFLD population and that MAFLD is an independent risk factor for CKD. However， up to now， there are still no guidelines on the prevention and treatment of MAFLD-related CKD. Based on the Delphi method， the authors led a multidisciplinary team of 50 authoritative experts from 26 countries to reach a consensus on some open-ended research issues about the association between MAFLD and CKD， which can help to clarify the important clinical association between MAFLD and the risk of CKD and improve the understanding of the epidemiology， pathogenesis， management， and treatment of MAFLD and CKD， so as to establish a framework for the early prevention and management of these two common and interrelated diseases.

Evaluation of A Liver Yin Deficiency Mouse Model Based on Untargeted Metabolomics / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveBased on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， to evaluate the establishment of a mouse model of liver Yin deficiency by thyroid tablet suspension combined with 10% carbon tetrachloride（CCl4） from the perspective of non-targeted metabolomics， in order to lay the foundation for the establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome model. MethodA total of 24 mice were randomly divided into blank group and model group. The model group was given thyroid tablet suspension（0.003 2 g·kg-1） by gavage for 14 consecutive days， and 10% CCl4（5 mL·kg-1） was intraperitoneally injected once a week to establish a liver Yin deficiency model， while the blank group was injected with an equal amount of olive oil intraperitoneally and gavaged with an equal amount of distilled water， and was fed with normal feed. After the modeling was completed， 6 mice in each group were randomly selected， the levels of alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP）， cyclic guanosine monophosphate（cGMP）， interleukin（IL）-6， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）were measured in the mice serum， and malondialdehyde（MDA）， superoxide dismutase（SOD）， total protein（TP）， hydroxyproline（HYP） and other indicators were measured in the mice liver. Liver tissue sections were taken for hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and observing pathological changes. The remaining 6 mice in each group were subjected to UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to screen differential metabolites in the liver Yin deficiency mouse model， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） database was used to analyze the corresponding metabolic pathways of differential metabolites. ResultCompared with the blank group， mice in the model group showed liver Yin deficiency manifestations such as reduced body weight， fatigue and sleepiness， disheveled and lusterless hair， irritability. The levels of ALT， cAMP/cGMP， IL-6， AST， MDA， cAMP， TNF-α significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the levels of SOD， IL-10 and cGMP significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the changes of HYP and TP were not statistically significant. Hepatic steatosis and distortion of the radial arrangement of the liver plate cells were seen in the section images of the model group， endogenous substances were clearly separated， and 252 differential metabolites were identified in the serum samples， which were mainly involved in the metabolic pathways of purine metabolism， steroid hormone biosynthesis and pyrimidine metabolism. A total of 229 differential metabolites were identified in the liver samples， mainly involving nucleotide metabolism， purine metabolism， steroid hormone biosynthesis， pyrimidine metabolism， antifolate resistance， insulin resistance， primary bile acid biosynthesis， prostate cancer， sulfur relay system， arachidonic acid metabolism and other metabolic pathways. ConclusionThe successful establishment of liver Yin deficiency model in mice by CCl4 combined with thyroid hormone is evaluated through the investigation of serum and liver metabolomics， combined with biochemical indicators， which provides a biological basis and experimental foundation for the Yin deficiency syndrome model of TCM.

Mechanism of Qizhu Kang'ai Prescription for Inhibiting Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Regulating Tumor Metabolic Reprogramming via PCK1/Akt/p21 Signal Axis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the effect of Qizhu Kang'ai prescription （QZAP） on the gluconeogenesis enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 （PCK1） in the liver of mouse model of liver cancer induced by diethylnitrosamine （DEN） combined with carbon tetrachloride （CCl4） and Huh7 cells of human liver cancer， so as to explore the mechanism on regulating metabolic reprogramming and inhibiting cell proliferation of liver cancer cells. MethodDEN combined with CCl4 was used to construct a mouse model of liver cancer via intraperitoneal injection. A normal group， a model group， and a QZAP group were set up， in which QZAP （3.51 g·kg-1） or an equal volume of normal saline was administered daily by gavage， respectively. Serum and liver samples were collected after eight weeks of intervention. Serum alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， γ-glutamyltransferase （γ-GT）， and alpha-fetoprotein （AFP） in mice were detected to evaluate liver function changes of mice in each group. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Sirius red staining were used to observe pathological changes in liver tissue. In the cell experiment， Huh7 cells were divided into blank group， QZAP low， medium， and high dose groups and/or PCK1 inhibitor （SKF-34288 hydrochloride） group， and Sorafenib group. The corresponding drug-containing serum and drug treatment were given， respectively. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） method， colony formation experiment， Edu fluorescent labeling detection， intracellular adenosine triphosphate （ATP） content detection， and cell cycle flow cytometry detection were used to evaluate the proliferation ability， energy metabolism changes， and change in the cell cycle of Huh7 cells in each group. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of PCK1， serine/threonine kinase （Akt）， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and cell cycle-dependent protein kinase inhibitor 1A （p21）. ResultCompared with the model group， the pathological changes such as cell atypia， necrosis， and collagen fiber deposition in liver cancer tissue of mice in the QZAP group were alleviated， and the number of liver tumors was reduced （P<0.01）. The serum ALT， AST， γ-GT， and AFP levels were reduced （P<0.01）. At the cell level， compared with the blank group， low， medium， and high-dose groups of QZAP-containing serum and the Sorafenib group could significantly reduce the survival rate of Huh7 cells （P<0.01） and the number of positive cells with Edu labeling （P<0.01） and inhibit clonal proliferation ability （P<0.01）. The QZAP groups could also reduce the intracellular ATP content （P<0.05） and increase the distribution ratio of the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle （P<0.05） in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the model group and blank group， PCK1 and p21 protein levels of mouse liver cancer tissue and Huh7 cells in the QZAP groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the p-Akt protein level was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the ATP content and cell survival rate of Huh7 cells in the SKF-34288 hydrochloride group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， but there was no statistical difference in the ratio of Edu-positive cells and the proportion of G0/G1 phase distribution. Compared with the SKF-34288 hydrochloride group， the QZAP combined with the SKF-34288 hydrochloride group significantly reduced the ATP content， cell survival rate， and Edu-positive cell ratio of Huh7 cells （P<0.05） and significantly increased the G0/G1 phase distribution proportion （P<0.05）. ConclusionQZAP may induce the metabolic reprogramming of liver cancer cells by activating PCK1 to promote Akt/p21-mediated tumor suppression， thereby exerting an anti-hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation mechanism.

Enhancement of tropane alkaloids biosynthesis in Atropa belladonna hariy root by overexpression of HnCYP82M3 and DsTRI genes / 药学学报

Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are a class of anticholinergic drugs widely used in clinical practice and mainly extracted from plant, among which Atopa belladonna is the main commercial drug source. It is of great industrial value to obtain TAs in large quantities by plant metabolic engineering. In TAs pathway, cytochrome oxidase CYP82M3 catalyze the synthesis of tropinone and then tropinone reductase I (TRI) compete with TRII for tropinone to form tropine leading to the TAs synthesis (drainage). In this study, based on the "increasing flow and drainage" metabolic engineering strategy, two genes, namely HnCYP82M3 and DsTRI from Hyoscyamus niger and Datura stramonium, respectively, were overexpressed in the hair roots of A. belladonna, with a view to promote the TAs accumulation. The HnCYP82M3 gene was cloned from the root of H. niger, and it encoded amino acid with 91.7% sequence identity with AbCYP82M3 from A. belladonna. Overexpression of HnCYP82M3 alone did not affect the content of TAs in hair roots of A. belladonna, indicating that CYP82M3 was not a key enzyme in TAs biosynthesis. Simultaneous overexpression of HnCYP82M3 and DsTRI greatly promoted the accumulation of the three TAs, and the contents of hyoscyamine, anisodamine and scopolamine were 4.97 times, 2.83 times and 2.19 times that of the control, respectively, and the increase amplitude was greater than that of single overexpression of DsTRI. This study showed that the "increasing flow and drainage" strategy of enzyme genes co-expression at branch points was a promising metabolic engineering method to effectively improve the biosynthesis of TAs in A. belladonna, and laid a theoretical and technical foundation for the large-scale industrial acquisition of TAs.

Clinical management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection comorbid with metabolic dysfunction / 临床肝胆病杂志

With the rapid growth of metabolic dysfunction （MD） worldwide， there is also a gradual increase in the number of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection and MD. Comorbidity with metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia， hypertension， and dyslipidemia may increase the risk of adverse liver outcomes and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic HBV infection and affect the response to anti-HBV therapy. The standardized management of patients with chronic HBV infection and MD has become a challenge at present， and further in-depth research on the interaction between MD and HBV and targeted management strategies will help to optimize the clinical management of patients with chronic HBV infection.

Epidemiology and clinical outcome of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and metabolic dysfunction / 临床肝胆病杂志

Chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection is a worldwide public health issue and a leading cause of liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， liver failure， and primary liver cancer in China. The incidence rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is gradually increasing with the improvement in the living standards of people and the changes in dietary structure. Population-based studies have found that HBV infection can influence the development of NAFLD， but the mechanism remains unknown. Hepatic steatosis can also influence the expression of HBV serum pathogenic indicators， and its combination with NAFLD and other metabolic dysfunction diseases can increase the risk of liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and liver cancer. Chronic HBV infection is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction， and more studies are needed in the future to better understand related mechanisms， so as to provide a theoretical foundation for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Basic research on chronic hepatitis B virus infection and metabolic dysfunction： Advances and controversies / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatitis B virus （HBV） is considered a “metabolic virus” that can influence a variety of metabolic processes. There is still a lack of definite conclusion on the association between chronic HBV infection and the various types of metabolic dysfunction， and little is known about the mechanism of the association of chronic HBV infection with the diseases characterized by metabolic disorder， such as metabolic syndrome， diabetes， and metabolic associated fatty liver disease. Currently it is believed that hepatitis B x gene （HBx）， derived from HBV genome， might play an important role in mediating systemic metabolic alterations after HBV infection， and HBx influences the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids and causes metabolic dysfunction by retgulating the expression profiles of the key proteins such as PPARγ， C/EBPα， SREBP， and FATP2. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is the most severe manifestation of metabolic dysfunction in the liver， and since both NAFLD and HBV infection can cause liver injury， the research on the interaction between them has attracted more and more attention， with controversies requiring further exploration. Therefore， this article elaborates on the research advances in chronic HBV infection and metabolic dysfunction， so as to provide ideas for subsequent studies.

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection and metabolic associated fatty liver disease： The known and unknown aspects / 临床肝胆病杂志

Chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection is the main cause of the disease burden of viral hepatitis worldwide， and meanwhile， due to changes in lifestyle and dietary habits， the incidence rate of metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） is constantly increasing， making MAFLD the leading chronic liver disease around the world. Chronic HBV infection comorbid with MAFLD is becoming more and more common in clinical practice. Metabolic factors， rather than viral factors， are the main cause of chronic HBV infection comorbid with MAFLD. During disease progression， steatohepatitis and fibrosis， rather than steatosis， are the main influencing factors for the progression to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. For patients with chronic HBV infection and MAFLD， integrated management of virus and metabolic factors is of great importance. This article reviews the tissues regarding the interaction， prognosis， and clinical management of chronic HBV infection and MAFLD.

Association between skeletal muscle mass and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly community residents / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between skeletal muscle mass and metabolic syndrome （MS） disease risk among middle-aged and elderly community residents in Urumqi， and to provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and MS among middle-aged and elderly community residents in China. MethodsA total of 1 438 community residents ≥ 50 years old were selected as the research subjects from July 2018 to January 2019 in Urumqi. They were selected from a multi-ethnic natural population cohort in Xinjiang. Data were collected through questionnaires， physical examination， bioelectrical impedance analysis （BIA）， laboratory tests， etc. Skeletal muscle mass was evaluated using the limb skeletal muscle mass index （SMI） corrected for body weight； MS was defined as it at least includes three of the following： abdominal obesity， hypertension， hyperglycemia， high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. SMI was divided into four quantile arrays of Q1‒Q4. Trend χ2 test was applied to explore whether there was a correlation between SMI changes and MS. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze whether there is a difference in the risk of MS between the higher SMI group （Q2， Q3， Q4） and the reference group Q1. ResultA total of 560 MS patients were detected in this study， with a prevalence rate of 38.94%. Among them， the prevalence rate of MS was 39.16% in males and 38.80% in females. The increase in male SMI grading level is not correlated with the prevalence of MS （trend P>0.05）； After adjusting for confounding factors （model 4）， the increase in SMI was still not related to the prevalence of MS （Ptrend=0.995）. There was no statistical difference in the risk of MS between the lowest quartile group Q1 and the highest quartile group Q4 （OR=1.01， 95%CI： 0.69‒1.78）. The prevalence of MS in women gradually decreased with the increase of SMI grading level （Ptrend<0.001）； After adjusting for confounding factors （model 4）， there was still a correlation between the increase of SMI and the prevalence of MS （Ptrend=0.005）. With the lowest quartile of SMI Q1 as the reference group， the risk of MS in Q2 （OR=0.63， 95%CI： 0.40‒1.00）， Q3 （OR=0.56， 95%CI： 0.34‒0.94）， Q4 （OR=0.42， 95%CI： 0.23‒0.76） decreased. ConclusionAn increase in skeletal muscle mass may be beneficial for preventing MS， especially among middle-aged and elderly female residents. Considering the intensification of aging in China and the close relationship between MS and related comorbidities， managing skeletal muscle mass may contribute to potential MS prevention.

Relationship between influencing factors of operation time and postoperative complications in hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy / 器官移植

Objective To identify the influencing factors of operation time of hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy, and to analyze the relationship between influencing factors and the severity of postoperative complications. Methods Clinical data of 91 donors who underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between preoperative baseline data of donors and operation time was analyzed. The relationship between operation time and postoperative complications was assessed and the threshold of operation time was determined. Results Multiple donor renal arteries, thick perirenal and posterior renal fat, metabolic syndrome, high Mayo adhesive probability (MAP) score and Clavien-Dindo score prolonged the operation time. By analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, we found that when the operation time was ≥138 min, the incidence of postoperative complications of donors was significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions For donors with multiple renal arteries, thick perirenal and posterior renal fat, metabolic syndrome and high MAP score and Clavien-Dindo score, experienced surgeons should be selected to make adequate preoperative preparation and pay close attention after surgery, so as to timely detect postoperative complications and reduce the severity of complications, enhance clinical prognosis of the donors.

Liver transplantation for inherited metabolic liver diseases / 器官移植

Inherited metabolic liver disease (IMLD) is a category of liver metabolic diseases caused by genetic disorders. The pathogenesis of IMLD is complex, which primarily comprises the accumulation of harmful metabolic substrates or products caused by specific enzyme defects and energy defects or abnormal deposition caused by abnormal metabolism of glucose, fat and other substances. In recent years, liver transplantation has played an increasingly critical role in the treatment of IMLD with the development of liver transplantation. At present, IMLD has become the second most important indication after biliary atresia in pediatric liver transplantation. Currently, IMLD patients receiving liver transplantation can be divided into two categories: the first category is IMLD complicated with liver disease; Category 2 patients have a normal liver structure but are deficient in related metabolic enzymes. It can not only replace the liver with abnormal structure and function, but also provide normal enzymes required for patients' metabolism, which may improve their quality of life and even save their lives. In this article, common feasible liver transplantation for IMLD, clinical prognosis and surgical procedures of liver transplantation for IMLD were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for liver transplantation for IMLD.

Tumor-targeted metabolic inhibitor prodrug labelled with cyanine dyes enhances immunoprevention of lung cancer

Recent progress in targeted metabolic therapy of cancer has been limited by the considerable toxicity associated with such drugs. To address this challenge, we developed a smart theranostic prodrug system that combines a fluorophore and an anticancer drug, specifically 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), using a thioketal linkage (TK). This system enables imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and on-demand drug release upon radiation exposure. The optimized prodrug, DON-TK-BM3, incorporating cyanine dyes as the fluorophore, displayed potent reactive oxygen species release and efficient tumor cell killing. Unlike the parent drug DON, DON-TK-BM3 exhibited no toxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, DON-TK-BM3 demonstrated high tumor accumulation and reduced side effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity, in mice. This study provides a practical strategy for designing prodrugs of metabolic inhibitors with significant toxicity stemming from their lack of tissue selectivity.

Research progress on hereditary endocrine and metabolic diseases associated with sensorineural hearing loss / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Hereditary endocrine and metabolic diseases , caused by genetic factors, exhibit complex and diverse symptoms, including the possibility of concurrent sensorineural deafness. Currently, there is a limited clinical understanding of hereditary endocrine and metabolic diseases that manifest with deafness, the pathogenesis remains unclear,and there is a lack of effective diagnostic and treatment methods. This article summarizes the research progress of hereditary endocrine and metabolic diseases complicated with deafness from the pathogenesis, clinical phenotype, diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the current research progress and integrating genetic analysis into clinical practice are crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment, evaluating clinical efficacy, and providing effective genetic counseling for these diseases.

Disease spectrum and pathogenic genes of inherited metabolic disorder in Gansu Province of China / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the disease spectrum and pathogenic genes of inherited metabolic disorder (IMD) among neonates in Gansu Province of China.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was conducted on the tandem mass spectrometry data of 286 682 neonates who received IMD screening in Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021. A genetic analysis was conducted on the neonates with positive results in tandem mass spectrometry during primary screening and reexamination.@*RESULTS@#A total of 23 types of IMD caused by 28 pathogenic genes were found in the 286 682 neonates, and the overall prevalence rate of IMD was 0.63 (1/1 593), among which phenylketonuria showed the highest prevalence rate of 0.32 (1/3 083), followed by methylmalonic acidemia (0.11, 1/8 959) and tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency (0.06, 1/15 927). In this study, 166 variants were identified in the 28 pathogenic genes, with 13 novel variants found in 9 genes. According to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, 5 novel variants were classified as pathogenic variants, 7 were classified as likely pathogenic variants, and 1 was classified as the variant of uncertain significance.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study enriches the database of pathogenic gene variants for IMD and provides basic data for establishing an accurate screening and diagnosis system for IMD in this region.

Non-linear association between long-term air pollution exposure and risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

BACKGROUND@#Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) has become a global epidemic, and air pollution has been identified as a potential risk factor. This study aims to investigate the non-linear relationship between ambient air pollution and MASLD prevalence.@*METHOD@#In this cross-sectional study, participants undergoing health checkups were assessed for three-year average air pollution exposure. MASLD diagnosis required hepatic steatosis with at least 1 out of 5 cardiometabolic criteria. A stepwise approach combining data visualization and regression modeling was used to determine the most appropriate link function between each of the six air pollutants and MASLD. A covariate-adjusted six-pollutant model was constructed accordingly.@*RESULTS@#A total of 131,592 participants were included, with 40.6% met the criteria of MASLD. "Threshold link function," "interaction link function," and "restricted cubic spline (RCS) link functions" best-fitted associations between MASLD and PM2.5, PM10/CO, and O3 /SO2/NO2, respectively. In the six-pollutant model, significant positive associations were observed when pollutant concentrations were over: 34.64 µg/m3 for PM2.5, 57.93 µg/m3 for PM10, 56 µg/m3 for O3, below 643.6 µg/m3 for CO, and within 33 and 48 µg/m3 for NO2. The six-pollutant model using these best-fitted link functions demonstrated superior model fitting compared to exposure-categorized model or linear link function model assuming proportionality of odds.@*CONCLUSION@#Non-linear associations were found between air pollutants and MASLD prevalence. PM2.5, PM10, O3, CO, and NO2 exhibited positive associations with MASLD in specific concentration ranges, highlighting the need to consider non-linear relationships in assessing the impact of air pollution on MASLD.

Seasonal variations of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its markers using big-data of health check-ups

BACKGROUND@#It is crucial to understand the seasonal variation of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) for the detection and management of MetS. Previous studies have demonstrated the seasonal variations in MetS prevalence and its markers, but their methods are not robust. To clarify the concrete seasonal variations in the MetS prevalence and its markers, we utilized a powerful method called Seasonal Trend Decomposition Procedure based on LOESS (STL) and a big dataset of health checkups.@*METHODS@#A total of 1,819,214 records of health checkups (759,839 records for men and 1,059,375 records for women) between April 2012 and December 2017 were included in this study. We examined the seasonal variations in the MetS prevalence and its markers using 5 years and 9 months health checkup data and STL analysis. MetS markers consisted of waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting plasma glucose (FPG).@*RESULTS@#We found that the MetS prevalence was high in winter and somewhat high in August. Among men, MetS prevalence was 2.64 ± 0.42 (mean ± SD) % higher in the highest month (January) than in the lowest month (June). Among women, MetS prevalence was 0.53 ± 0.24% higher in the highest month (January) than in the lowest month (June). Additionally, SBP, DBP, and HDL-C exhibited simple variations, being higher in winter and lower in summer, while WC, TG, and FPG displayed more complex variations.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This finding, complex seasonal variations of MetS prevalence, WC, TG, and FPG, could not be derived from previous studies using just the mean values in spring, summer, autumn and winter or the cosinor analysis. More attention should be paid to factors affecting seasonal variations of central obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance.

Use of FGF21 analogs for the treatment of metabolic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT FGF21 is a hormone produced primarily by the liver with several metabolic functions, such as induction of heat production, control of glucose homeostasis, and regulation of blood lipid levels. Due to these actions, several laboratories have developed FGF21 analogs to treat patients with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that used FGF21 analogs and analyzed metabolic outcomes. Our search yielded 236 articles, and we included eight randomized clinical trials in the meta-analysis. The use of FGF21 analogs exhibited no effect on fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, HOMA index, blood free fatty acids or systolic blood pressure. However, the treatment significantly reduced fasting insulinemia, body weight and total cholesterolemia. None of the included studies were at high risk of bias. The quality of the evidence ranged from moderate to very low, especially due to imprecision and indirection issues. These results indicate that FGF21 analogs can potentially treat metabolic syndrome. However, more clinical trials are needed to increase the quality of evidence and confirm the effects seen thus far.

Genetic polymorphisms in the angiotensin converting enzyme, actinin 3 and paraoxonase 1 genes in women with diabetes and hypertension

ABSTRACT Objective: To study associations between polymorphisms in the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE I/D), actinin 3 (ACTN3 R577X) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1 T(-107)C) genes and chronic diseases (diabetes and hypertension) in women. Materials and methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva samples of 78 women between 18 and 59 years old used for genetic polymorphism screening. Biochemical data were collected from the medical records in Basic Health Units from Southern Brazil. Questionnaires about food consumption, physical activity level and socioeconomic status were applied. Results: The XX genotype of ACTN3 was associated with low HDL levels and high triglycerides, total cholesterol and glucose levels. Additionally, high triglycerides and LDL levels were observed in carriers of the TT genotype of PON1, and lower total cholesterol levels were associated to the CC genotype. As expected, women with diabetes/hypertense had increased body weight, BMI (p = 0.02), waist circumference (p = 0.01), body fat percentage, blood pressure (p = 0.02), cholesterol, triglycerides (p = 0.02), and blood glucose (p = 0.01), when compared to the control group. Conclusion: Both ACTN3 R577X and PON1 T(-107)C polymorphisms are associated with nutritional status and blood glucose and lipid levels in women with diabetes/hypertense. These results contribute to genetic knowledge about predisposition to obesity-related diseases.