Indole Lactic Acid in Plasma and Urine: A Potential Biomarker for Chronic Kidney Disease and Inflammatory.

Purpose: We aimed to explore changes in plasma and urine indole lactic acid (ILA) levels and the relationship between inflammation and ILA in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and healthy people. Patients and Methods: Forty-seven CKD patients and 30 healthy individuals were included in this study. One-way ANOVA was used for variables with normal distribution and homogeneous variance. A rank-sum test was performed for non-normally distributed variables. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson's or Spearman correlation analyses. Independent relationship between patients and CKD was analyzed using ordinal and binary logistic regressions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used. Results: Plasma and urine ILA levels were positively correlated (r = 0.51, P < 0.01). Plasma ILA was positively correlated with BMI, age, creatinine, BUN, triglycerides, and uric acid and negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels. Urine ILA levels were positively correlated with age, creatinine, BUN, and uric acid and negatively correlated with hemoglobin and albumin levels. Ordered logistic regression analysis showed that CKD was significantly correlated with plasma ILA (OR=4.49, P < 0.01), urinary ILA (OR=2.14,P < 0.01), urea levels (OR=1.43, P < 0.01) and hemoglobin levels (OR=0.95, P < 0.01) were significantly related. ROC curves indicated that plasma and urinary ILA were reliable predictors of CKD. CKD was correlated with plasma, urine ILA (OR=5.92, P < 0.01; OR=2.79, P < 0.01) and Hs-CRP (OR=2.45, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Plasma and urine ILA can potentially be used as biomarkers of CKD and inflammatory status.

Plasma and Urine Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Activity: Promising Biomarkers for Chronic Kidney Disease and Inflammation Status.

Purpose: Our aim was to determine the relationship between plasma and urine indoleamine 2.3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity and stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients and Methods: Demographic and clinical parameters, including plasma and urine IDO activity, were recorded in 47 CKD patients and 30 controls. One-way ANOVA with the least significant difference method was used to compare means of variables that had normal distributions and homogeneous variance. Variables with non-normal distributions were log-transformed and compared using the rank sum test Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients were determined. Binary logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression were used to identify independently significant factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Results: The control group had higher levels of hemoglobin and albumin and lower levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN; all P<0.01). The level of highly sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) increased as CKD stage increased (P<0.01). Plasma and urine IDO activity were positively correlated (r=0.7, P<0.01). Plasma IDO activity correlated with age, creatinine, BUN, triglycerides, uric acid, albumin, and hemoglobin (all P<0.05); urine IDO activity correlated with age, BMI, creatinine, BUN, and hemoglobin (all P< 0.05). There were positive correlations of hs-CRP level with plasma IDO activity and urine IDO activity (both P<0.01). After adjusting for CKD-related factors, plasma IDO activity, urine IDO activity, and hs-CRP were independent risk factors for CKD (all P<0.05). Ordinal logistic regression also indicated that plasma and urine IDO activity were significantly associated with CKD stage. ROC analysis indicated that plasma and urine IDO activity were good predictors of CKD and distinguished different stages of CKD. There was a strong correlation between plasma IDO activity and inflammatory status in patients with CKD (OR=1258.908, P<0.01). Conclusion: Plasma and urine IDO activity have potential use as biomarkers for early-stage CKD, progression of CKD, and inflammation status.

Understanding the harm of low-dose computed tomography radiation to the body (Review).

Computed tomography (CT) is a modern examination method whose radiation characteristics vary depending on the population groups, the part of the body being examined, and other implementation conditions. The use of CT has become increasingly widespread. However, there is a growing concern regarding the harm caused by CT radiation. The opinions regarding whether low-dose CT can induce cancer differ. It is necessary to consider the research population, radiation characteristics, and different parts of the body being exposed to radiation before the application of radiation to ensure the knowledge used is scientifically sound and reasonable. Therefore, different studies have different opinions on whether low-dose CT induces cancer, and not all physicians are aware of this. The present review article aimed to impart relevant insights and a correct understanding of the hazardous effects of low-dose CT radiation on the human body and help physicians reduce unnecessary CT radiation exposure.

Recommendations for reducing exposure to medical X-ray irradiation (Review).

With the increasing frequency of X-ray examinations in clinical medicine, public concern regarding the harm caused by exposure to X-ray radiation is also increasing. However, some physicians are not completely aware of the dangers of exposure to X-ray irradiation. Individuals specialized in this field, including physicians, have a better understanding of these dangers, which limits the use of X-rays in medicine. The present study aimed to address strategies for reducing the harm caused by exposure to medical X-rays and increase public awareness regarding X-ray radiation. Through a literature search and review, combined with the current status of clinical X-ray examination and the authors' professional experience, the present study highlights the importance of reducing X-ray exposure, and proposes several specific recommendations and measures for reducing the frequency or dose of X-ray irradiation. On the whole, the finding discussed in the present review suggest the minimal use of medical X-ray examinations and that alternative tests should be selected whenever possible. When medical X-ray screening and treatments are necessary, the risk-benefit ratio should be assessed, possibly aiming to achieve avoidable exposure. Further attention should be paid to protect sensitive glands and reduce the risks in children.

Study on Morphology and Rheological Property of Organoclay Dispersions in Soybean Oil Fatty Acid Ethyl Ester over a Wide Temperature Range.

This work attempted to establish the relationship between the dispersion morphology and the viscous flow behavior of clay dispersions in soybean oil fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) at 2 and 65 °C. The clays used in this study include raw montmorillonite (Mt) and three kinds of organoclays prepared by ion exchange modification of Mt by cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (OC16), dihexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (ODC16), and trihexadecylmethylammonium chloride (OTC16), respectively. The X-ray diffraction and water contact angle results demonstrated that greater alkyl chain number of surfactants led to greater interlayer space and stronger hydrophobicity of organoclays. Due to the good affinity of the surfactant and FAEE, OC16 exhibited the most stable dispersion in FAEE between 2-65 °C, which resulted in the best flat rheological property. The molecular structures of multiple chain surfactants were quite different from that of FAEE, resulting in weak affinity between organoclays (ODC16 and OTC16) and FAEE. The sheets of ODC16 and OTC16 tended to aggregate at 2 °C, forming a gel structure, thus significantly increasing the low shear rate viscosity (LSRV) and yield stress. At 65 °C, with the expansion of FAEE and the stronger thermal motion of sheets, the dispersions of ODC16 and OTC16 were improved, destroying the original gel structure and resulting in significant decreases in LSRV and yield stress. This study confirmed that stable clay/FAEE dispersions tended to exhibit flat rheology, which could serve as a basis for the application of clay/biodiesel dispersion in deep-water drilling.

Radiation-induced expression of IER5 is dose-dependent and not associated with the clinical outcomes of radiotherapy in cervical cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the expression of the immediate-early response 5 (IER5) gene in cervical cancer tissues and explore the association between the expression of IER5 and the clinical outcomes of radiotherapy. We collected specimens by surgery or biopsy and obtained 53 specimens from tissues after radiotherapy and 16 specimens from tissues before radiotherapy. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to assess the protein expression levels of IER5. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to assess the mRNA expression levels of IER5. The protein and mRNA expression levels of IER5 in cervical cancer patients treated with radiation doses ≥20 Gy were significantly higher than in those treated with radiation doses <20 Gy (P<0.05) and before treatment with radiotherapy. Moreover, the expression of IER5 was significantly positively correlated with the radiation dose (immunohistochemistry: r=0.548, P=0.019; qPCR: r=0.671, P=0.002; western blotting: r=0.573, P<0.0001). Radiotherapy induced the upregulated expression of IER5 and this was dependent on the radiation dose. However, the radiation-induced expression of IER5 was not associated with the clinical outcomes of radiotherapy in cervical cancer.