Plasma GlycA, a Glycoprotein Marker of Chronic Inflammation, and All-Cause Mortality in Cirrhotic Patients and Liver Transplant Recipients.

Low-grade chronic inflammation may impact liver disease. We investigated the extent to which circulating GlycA, a glycoprotein biomarker of low-grade inflammation, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are altered in patients with cirrhosis and liver transplant recipients (LTRs) and examined their associations with all-cause mortality. Plasma GlycA (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and hs-CRP (nephelometry) were assessed in 129 patients with cirrhosis on the waiting list for liver transplantation and 367 LTRs (TransplantLines cohort study; NCT03272841) and compared with 4837 participants from the population-based PREVEND cohort.

Gut microbiome dysbiosis is not associated with portal vein thrombosis in patients with end-stage liver disease: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common complication in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). The portal vein in ESLD patients is proposedly an inflammatory vascular bed due to translocation of endotoxins and cytokines from the gut. We hypothesized that a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome and elevated trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a driver of thrombosis, may contribute to PVT development.

Refinement of a Published Gene-Physical Activity Interaction Impacting HDL-Cholesterol: Role of Sex and Lipoprotein Subfractions.

Large-scale gene-environment interaction (GxE) discovery efforts often involve analytical compromises for the sake of data harmonization and statistical power. Refinement of exposures, covariates, outcomes, and population subsets may be helpful to establish often-elusive replication and evaluate potential clinical utility. Here, we used additional datasets, an expanded set of statistical models, and interrogation of lipoprotein metabolism via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based lipoprotein subfractions to refine a previously discovered GxE modifying the relationship between physical activity (PA) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C).

Circulating Citrate Is Reversibly Elevated in Patients with End-Stage Liver Disease: Association with All-Cause Mortality.

Circulating citrate may serve as a proxy for mitochondrial dysfunction which plays a role in the progression of end-stage liver disease (ESLD). This study aimed to determine the extent of alterations in circulating citrate in patients with ESLD, and examined its association with all-cause mortality among ESLD patients while on the waiting list for liver transplantation. Plasma citrate levels were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 129 ESLD patients (TransplantLines cohort study; NCT03272841) and compared to levels in 4837 participants of the community-dwelling PREVEND cohort.

Effects of induced subclinical hypocalcemia in early-lactation Holstein cows without milking during infusion on parathyroid hormone and serotonin concentrations.

The transition to lactation demands a substantial amount of calcium (Ca) to support colostrum and milk production. Extensive research has been focused on elucidating the interplay between the traditional Ca-parathyroid hormone-vitamin D axis and mammary-derived factors, such as serotonin (5-HT) and parathyroid-hormone-like hormone (PTHLH), in regulating Ca metabolism during the transition period. Here, we investigate the impact of induced subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) on 5-HT and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in early-lactation dairy cows under conditions of 24-h milk stasis.