Publications by authors named "Kaori Sawada"

The beneficial effects of water-soluble dietary fiber on liver fat and fibrosis involve the gut microbiota; however, few epidemiological studies have investigated this association. This large-scale epidemiological study aimed to determine the effect of water-soluble dietary fiber intake on liver fat and fibrosis via gut microbiota for the general population. We divided low- and high-intake groups by median daily water-soluble dietary fiber intake and matched background factors by propensity score matching for sex and age.

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Background And Aim: Identifying the factors contributing to the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a lifestyle-related disease, is crucial for preventing future liver-related deaths. This study aimed to epidemiologically investigate factors, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels >30 U/L and potential risk factors for liver fibrosis, in a general population cohort of patients with MASLD.

Methods: Among 1059 participants in the health checkup project, 228 who were diagnosed with MASLD were analyzed.

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Many factors are associated with the development and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD); however, genetics and gut microbiota are representative factors. Recent studies have highlighted the link between host genes and the gut microbiota. Although there have been many studies on the separate effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gut bacteria on MASLD, few epidemiological studies have examined how SNPs and gut bacteria interact in the development and progression of MASLD.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study examined how different Japanese dietary patterns affect metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and liver fibrosis in 727 adults.
  • Participants' diets were categorized into rice, vegetable, seafood, and sweet groups, revealing that those in the vegetable group had lower indicators of liver fibrosis compared to the rice group.
  • The research identified body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m and HOMA-IR ≥ 1.6 as risk factors for liver fibrosis, while a vegetable-based diet, high in α-tocopherol (an antioxidant), was associated with a lower risk of developing liver fibrosis.
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Anti-human upstream-binding factor (anti-hUBF) antibodies have been reported predominantly in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs); these have also been reported in patients without CTDs such as hepatocellular carcinoma. Because of the low frequency of expression and few case reports, there is no consensus on the clinical significance of these antibodies. Thus, we aimed to examine the clinical features of patients with anti-hUBF antibodies and analyzed 1042 patients with clinically suspected CTDs.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The Japanese diet is considered healthy and its benefits may stem from the influence it has on oral and gut microbiota, which play a crucial role in health.
  • - A study used a modified Japanese Diet Index (mJDI12) to analyze its association with microbiota in a rural Japanese population, selecting 396 participants based on their dietary habits.
  • - Findings indicated that those with a high mJDI12 had increased levels of beneficial butyric acid-producing bacteria and higher fiber intake, suggesting a positive impact of the Japanese diet on gut microbiota, although some oral microbiota was negatively affected.
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Background: Bone marrow lesion (BML) is an important magnetic resonance finding (MRI) finding that predicts knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of proximal tibial morphology on BML, including the spreading root sign (SRS), in women without radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA). It was hypothesized that varus alignment and a greater posterior tibial slopes (PTS) are associated with BML.

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  • The study investigates the relationship between liver fibrosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels produced by neutrophils, focusing on how this varies with age and sex in the general population.
  • It involved 1,000 participants categorized into four groups based on sex and age, using various indices to assess liver fibrosis.
  • Findings indicated positive correlations between liver fibrosis scores and basal ROS levels in younger participants, while in females, higher liver fibrosis scores were associated with lower stimulated ROS levels, suggesting that enhancing neutrophil function could help prevent liver-related diseases.
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Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is recognized a prognostic factor and leading cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of the present study is to clarify factors at an initial visit that are associated with the deterioration of ILD in SSc patients with anti-topoisomerase I (anti-topo I) antibodies. This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study.

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  • * After matching participants based on various health factors, researchers found significant differences in gut microbiota diversity between those with and without liver fibrosis, but no notable differences in oral microbiota.
  • * The results suggest that gut microbiota may play a more significant role in liver fibrosis than oral microbiota, although certain strains didn't independently influence liver fibrosis when adjusting for other health variables.
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Affordable and accessible behaviour-based interventions that do not overwhelm or demoralise overweight/obese individuals are needed. Combining clothing with behaviour change techniques might be an option. This is because clothing is a social norm, and clothing and motivation for weight loss are associated with the common desire to look better.

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The influx of intestinal bacteria-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the blood has attracted attention as a cause of diseases. The aim of this study is investigating the associations between the influx of LPS, dietary factors, gut microbiota, and health status in the general adult population. Food/nutrient intake, gut microbiota, health status and plasma LPS-binding protein (LBP; LPS exposure indicator) were measured in 896 residents (58.

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Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory cutaneous disease. FcγRIIB is a low-affinity receptor for the IgG Fc fragment that provides a negative feedback pathway to down-regulate B-cell antigen receptor signaling.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of FcγRIIB in the development of murine imiquimod (IMQ)-induced, psoriasis-like skin inflammation.

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The relationship between serum adiponectin concentration (S-Adipo) and various diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) is conflicting. We hypothesized that the extent of kidney damage in patients with T2D may be responsible for this inconsistency and, thus, examined association between S-Adipo and T2D after consideration for the extent of kidney damage present. Of the 1816 participants in the population-based Iwaki study of Japanese people, 1751 participants with a complete dataset were included.

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Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has enormous medical and socioeconomic burdens, which early diagnosis and intervention can reduce. We investigated the influence of knee effusion on the progression of knee OA in patients with early knee OA.

Methods: A total of 404 participants without radiographic knee OA were assessed from a 3-year longitudinal analysis.

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  • The study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and its usefulness in a health survey context among 1056 participants.
  • Findings showed that 88.1% of participants had MAFLD compared to 75.5% with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with those having a higher FAST score more likely to have MAFLD.
  • The research identified significant dietary differences in participants with MAFLD, highlighted low levels of the bacteria Blautia, and suggested that MAFLD criteria could improve screening for liver fibrosis and high-risk fatty liver conditions.
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Water-soluble dietary fiber is primarily a substrate for degradation of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyric acid, by gut microbiota. SCFAs have beneficial effects on the whole body. However, epidemiological studies on the association between water-soluble dietary fiber from daily food intake and butyric acid-producing bacteria are inconsistent.

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This study aimed to investigate the gut microbial genera associated with skeletal muscle mass, using a large-scale survey from the standpoint of preventing sarcopenia. A total of 848 participants were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) ages of men ( = 353) and women ( = 495) were 50.

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  • This study investigated the use of the serum creatinine-to-cystatin C ratio to assess muscle mass and strength in individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among 641 Japanese adults.
  • Results showed that the ratio effectively identified low muscle mass and handgrip strength, with high accuracy metrics (0.84 for low muscle mass in men and 0.96 for low strength).
  • Additionally, the ratio significantly correlated with muscle mass index and grip strength but did not relate to the severity of hepatic fat accumulation.
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Upon food digestion, the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in energy metabolism, thus affecting the development of type 2 diabetes (DM). We aimed to examine the influence of the composition of selected nutrients consumed on the association between the gut microbiota and DM. This cross-sectional study of a general population was conducted on 1019 Japanese volunteers.

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Relationships between the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and/or the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neuroinflammatory diseases have been reported. Depression is also associated with neuroinflammation. Here, we determined the association between the NLR, PLR, and depressive symptoms.

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Telomere (TL) is a biomarker of biological aging, and its shortening is associated with major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aimed to identify whether TL is associated with arterial stiffness as reflected by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). This population-based cross-sectional study involved 1065 individuals in the Iwaki area, Japan.

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