miR-223 and Chromogranin A Affect Inflammatory Immune Cell Activation in Liver Metastasis of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a diverse group originating from endocrine cells/their precursors in pancreas, small intestine, or lung. The key serum marker is chromogranin A (CgA). While commonly elevated in patients with NEN, its prognostic value is still under discussion.

Pulmonary rehabilitation: A cohort study assessing the effectiveness of a multi-professional nutrition intervention.

Background: Limited benefit of pulmonary exercise rehabilitation has been associated with fulfilment of energy and protein requirements.

Objectives: The aim was to enhance dietary intake towards requirements and to maintain changes after a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Methods: This single arm intervention study included multidisciplinary focus on nutrition and three sessions of individual dietary counselling during a 10-week pulmonary exercise rehabilitation in five municipalities centers.

Measured versus estimated energy requirement in hospitalized patients.

Background & Aim: Failure to identify a patient's energy requirement has a variety of consequences both physiological and economical. Previous studies have shown that predictive formulas, including the Harris Benedict equation (HB), both over- and underestimates energy requirement in severely ill patients and healthy younger adults, compared to the golden standard, indirect calorimetry (IC). The comparison between measured and estimated energy requirements in hospitalized patients in regular wards is underreported.

Two new species of the 'Big Yellows' (Diptera: Sarcophagidae: Sarcophaga).

The informal name 'Big Yellows' is proposed for a possibly non-monophyletic assemblage of large-bodied, yellow-coloured species of flesh flies found in the Melanesian archipelagoes of Bismarck, Solomon and Vanuatu. The group comprises several species of Sarcophaga Meigen subgenus Sarcorohdendorfia Baranov plus the only species of Sarcophaga subgenus Chrysosarcophaga Townsend. Two new species are described from Melanesia: Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) confusio sp.

Inflammatory Cytokines Associated with Diagnosis, Tumor Grade and Prognosis in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Background and aims: Inflammatory cytokines represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in manifold cancers. Recent data suggest a pivotal role of these cytokines in different biological processes involved in the development of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). However, their role as biomarkers in NETs is only poorly understood.

Prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with chronic intestinal failure-how are SARC-F and the EWGSOP algorithm associated before and after a physical exercise intervention.

Introduction: Patients with chronic intestinal failure (IF) have a low degree of physical activity, decreased muscle mass, and decreased muscle strength, leading to a high risk of sarcopenia. We aimed to test the prevalence of sarcopenia by the use of SARC-F and EWGSOP and to investigate the association between the two at baseline and after 12 weeks of an exercise intervention.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with chronic IF completed 12 weeks of three weekly home-based individualized exercise sessions.

Interleukin-18 signaling promotes activation of hepatic stellate cells in mouse liver fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor-family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation has been shown to result in liver fibrosis. Mechanisms and downstream signaling remain incompletely understood. Here, we studied the role of IL-18 in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and its impact on liver fibrosis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease outpatients bear risks of both unplanned weight loss and obesity.

Background & Aims: Malnutrition is commonly seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been associated with negative outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine unintended weight loss (UWL) within three months, as a primary indicator for disease related malnutrition among COPD outpatients, to evaluate the prevalence of UWL, and to identify possible characteristics for UWL.

Methods: A cross-sectional study including a patient questionnaire and medical record data extraction was made with all patients visiting a Danish COPD outpatient clinic.

Malnutrition measured by unintended weight loss among patients in general practice.

Objective: Disease-related malnutrition should be managed before negative consequences occur. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of unintended weight loss and reduced food intake among patients ≥18 y of age attending a general practice.

Methods: All patients visiting five general practices in Denmark, for 4 d in each place, were invited to participate in this questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.

Low Serum Levels of Soluble Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κ B Ligand (sRANKL) Are Associated with Metabolic Dysregulation and Predict Long-Term Mortality in Critically Ill Patients.

Soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B ligand (sRANKL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, and therefore, involved in various inflammatory processes. The role of sRANKL in the course of bone remodeling via activation of osteoclasts as well as chronic disease progression has been described extensively. However, the potential functional importance of sRANKL in critically ill or septic patients remained unknown.

NOD-like receptor protein 3 activation causes spontaneous inflammation and fibrosis that mimics human NASH.

Background And Aims: The NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a central contributor to human acute and chronic liver disease, yet the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which its activation precipitates injury remain incompletely understood. Here, we present single cell transcriptomic profiling of livers from a global transgenic tamoxifen-inducible constitutively activated Nlrp3 mutant mouse, and we investigate the changes in parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cell gene expression that accompany inflammation and fibrosis.

Approach And Results: Our results demonstrate that NLRP3 activation causes chronic extramedullary myelopoiesis marked by myeloid progenitors that differentiate into proinflammatory neutrophils, monocytes, and monocyte-derived macrophages.

Bile Acids Activate NLRP3 Inflammasome, Promoting Murine Liver Inflammation or Fibrosis in a Cell Type-Specific Manner.

Bile acids (BA) as important signaling molecules are considered crucial in development of cholestatic liver injury, but there is limited understanding on the involved cell types and signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory and fibrotic potential of key BA and the role of distinct liver cell subsets focusing on the NLRP3 inflammasome. C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and mice were fed with a diet supplemented with cholic (CA), deoxycholic (DCA) or lithocholic acid (LCA) for 7 days.

Personalized exercise intervention in HPN patients - A feasibility study.

Background: Physical health status may be predictive of readmissions, psychological health and mortality in patients with short bowel syndrome.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effect of an individualized exercise intervention and secondary, oral nutrition intake counseling on Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) and 30 s Chair Stand Test (CST) as well as body-composition and EuroQol (EQ)-5D-5L, in patients with chronic intestinal failure (IF) type III receiving HPN and/or fluid therapy.

Methods: A 12-week individualized exercise intervention consisting on three weekly home based sessions, and nutrition counselling focusing on protein intake and reducing high stoma output, was performed.

Healthcare professionals' experiences with practice for managing disease-related malnutrition in general practice and proposals for improvement: A qualitative study.

Background & Aim: Disease-related malnutrition is prevalent in all healthcare settings, including general practice, and is associated with negative consequences for the individual and the community. The aim of this study was to investigate general practitioners and general practice nurses' perceptions of how they manage disease-related malnutrition, and their view on introducing an early intervention against disease-related malnutrition.

Methods: Content analysis was used to analyse individual semi-structured interviews with the general practitioners (n = 9) and five focus group interviews with the general practice nurses (n = 21) from five general practices in Denmark.

Elevated Flt3L Predicts Long-Term Survival in Patients with High-Grade Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

Background: The clinical management of high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NEN) is challenging due to disease heterogeneity, illustrating the need for reliable biomarkers facilitating patient stratification and guiding treatment decisions. FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) is emerging as a prognostic or predictive surrogate marker of host tumoral immune response and might enable the stratification of patients with otherwise comparable tumor features.

Methods: We evaluated Flt3L gene expression in tumor tissue as well as circulating Flt3L levels as potential biomarkers in a cohort of 54 patients with GEP-NEN.

The Role of miRNA in the Pathophysiology of Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) represent a tumor group that is both rare and heterogeneous. Prognosis is largely determined by the tumor grading and the site of the primary tumor and metastases. Despite intensive research efforts, only modest advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches have been achieved in recent years.

From Liver Cirrhosis to Cancer: The Role of Micro-RNAs in Hepatocarcinogenesis.

In almost all cases, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops as the endpoint of a sequence that starts with chronic liver injury, progresses to liver cirrhosis, and finally, over years and decades, results in liver cancer. Recently, the role of non-coding RNA such as microRNA (miRNA) has been demonstrated in the context of chronic liver diseases and HCC. Moreover, data from a phase II trial suggested a potential role of microRNAs as therapeutics in hepatitis-C-virus infection, representing a significant risk factor for development of liver cirrhosis and HCC.

Serum levels of miR-223 but not miR-21 are decreased in patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

Background And Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are profoundly involved into the pathophysiology of manifold cancers. Recent data suggested a pivotal role of miRNAs as biomarkers in different biological processes including carcinogenesis. However, their role in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is only poorly understood.

Analysis of miR-29 Serum Levels in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors-Results from an Exploratory Study.

Background And Aims: Due to its involvement in tumor biology as well as tumor-associated stroma cell responses, recent data suggested a potential role of miR-29 as a biomarker for different malignancies. However, its role in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is only poorly understood.

Methods: We measured circulating levels of miR-29b in 45 patients with NET and compared them to 19 healthy controls.

A phase 0 analysis of ixazomib in patients with glioblastoma.

Improving overall survival in recurrent glioblastoma remains a challenge, and drugs acting by unique mechanisms are urgently required. Ixazomib is an orally-administered proteasome inhibitor used in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. However, ixazomib's ability to reach brain tumors has not been studied during its development.

Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) Concentrations are Elevated in Patients with Neuroendocrine Malignancies.

Neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) comprises heterogeneous tumors that are challenging to diagnose and, especially in cases of poorly differentiated (G3) NEN, are associated with very limited survival. Novel biomarkers allowing an early diagnosis as well as an optimal selection of suitable treatment options are urgently needed to improve the outcome of these patients. Recently, alterations of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) serum levels were described in various types of cancers.

ASK1 inhibition reduces cell death and hepatic fibrosis in an Nlrp3 mutant liver injury model.

Hepatic inflammasome activation is considered a major contributor to liver fibrosis in NASH. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is an apical mitogen-activated protein kinase that activates hepatic JNK and p38 to promote apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether pharmacologic inhibition of ASK1 could attenuate hepatic fibrosis driven by inflammasome activation using gain-of-function NOD-like receptor protein 3 (Nlrp3) mutant mice.

[Microbiome & NASH - partners in crime driving progression of fatty liver disease].

Along with the increasing prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is rapidly increasing and poses a major challenge for gastroenterologists. Many studies have demonstrated that the microbiome is closely associated with the progression of nutrition-related diseases, especially of fatty liver disease. Changes in the quantity and quality of the intestinal flora, commonly referred to as dysbiosis, result in altered food metabolism, increased permeability of the intestinal barrier ("leaky gut") and consecutive inflammatory processes in the liver.

Signal peptide replacement resulted in recombinant homologous expression of laccase Lcc8 in Coprinopsis cinerea.

Although the model agaricomycete Coprinopsis cinerea possess 17 different laccase genes, up to now only four C. cinerea laccases have been purified and characterized to some degree. By exchanging the nucleotide sequence of the deduced signal peptide of Lcc8 it was possible to homologously express lcc8 in C.