An exploratory analysis of the competing effects of alcohol use and advanced hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL.

While alcohol use has been shown to increase serum HDL, advanced liver disease associates with decreased serum HDL. The combined influence of alcohol consumption and liver fibrosis is poorly defined. In this study, we sought to investigate the competing effects of alcohol use and hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL and to determine if the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis ablates the reported effect of alcohol consumption on serum HDL.

Serum HMGB1 associates with liver disease and predicts readmission and mortality in patients with alcohol use disorder.

Identifying the minority of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who develop the wide spectrum of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), and risk-stratifying these patients, is of critical importance. High-Mobility Group Box 1 protein (HMGB1) is an alarmin that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple liver diseases. Its use as a biomarker for liver disease in those with AUD has not been studied.

Development of a Humanized Murine Model for the Study of Oxalobacter formigenes Intestinal Colonization.

Background: Oxalobacter formigenes are bacteria that colonize the human gut and degrade oxalate, a component of most kidney stones. Findings of clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that O. formigenes colonization reduces the risk for kidney stones.

Comparative prevalence of Oxalobacter formigenes in three human populations.

There has been increasing interest in the human anaerobic colonic bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes because of its ability to metabolize oxalate, and its potential contribution to protection from calcium oxalate kidney stones. Prior studies examining the prevalence of this organism have focused on subjects in developed countries and on adults. Now using O.

Oxalobacter formigenes-associated host features and microbial community structures examined using the American Gut Project.

Background: Increasing evidence shows the importance of the commensal microbe Oxalobacter formigenes in regulating host oxalate homeostasis, with effects against calcium oxalate kidney stone formation, and other oxalate-associated pathological conditions. However, limited understanding of O. formigenes in humans poses difficulties for designing targeted experiments to assess its definitive effects and sustainable interventions in clinical settings.