Serum biomarkers correlated with liver stiffness assessed in a multicenter study of pediatric cholestatic liver disease.

Background And Aims: Detailed investigation of the biological pathways leading to hepatic fibrosis and identification of liver fibrosis biomarkers may facilitate early interventions for pediatric cholestasis.

Approach And Results: A targeted enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based panel of nine biomarkers (lysyl oxidase, tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1, connective tissue growth factor [CTGF], IL-8, endoglin, periostin, Mac-2-binding protein, MMP-3, and MMP-7) was examined in children with biliary atresia (BA; n = 187), alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AT; n = 78), and Alagille syndrome (ALGS; n = 65) and correlated with liver stiffness (LSM) and biochemical measures of liver disease. Median age and LSM were 9 years and 9.

Tacrolimus-induced elevation in plasma triglyceride concentrations after administration to renal transplant patients is partially due to a decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity and plasma concentrations.

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a frequent and persistent complication in solid organ transplant recipients, leading to the high occurrence of cardiovascular disease in this patient population. Lipid abnormalities including increased total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol have been reported frequently in transplantation patients and a variety of immunosuppressive therapies seem to be one of the main factors that influence posttransplant lipidemic profiles. For many years, tacrolimus (TAC) has been used as an immunosuppressive drug in transplantation.

Discovery and development of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonists: a new paradigm for treating sepsis and other diseases.

Sepsis remains the most common cause of death in intensive care units in the USA, with a current estimate of at least 750,000 cases per year, and 215,000 deaths annually. Despite extensive research still we do not quite understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are involved in triggering and propagation of septic injury. Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria, or LPS) has been implicated as a major cause of this syndrome.

Cyclosporine A and Rapamycin induce in vitro cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity, and suppress lipoprotein lipase activity in human plasma.

Purpose: Cyclosporine A (CsA), Rapamycin (RAPA), Tacrolimus (FK-506) and Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) are immunosuppressants that are widely used in solid organ transplant patients. However, some of these drugs have been reported to cause dyslipidemia in patients. Our aim was to determine the effects of these drugs on in vitro cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), hepatic lipase (HL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity within human plasma.