Defining Gestational Thyroid Dysfunction Through Modified Nonpregnancy Reference Intervals: An Individual Participant Meta-analysis.

Background: Establishing local trimester-specific reference intervals for gestational TSH and free T4 (FT4) is often not feasible, necessitating alternative strategies. We aimed to systematically quantify the diagnostic performance of standardized modifications of center-specific nonpregnancy reference intervals as compared to trimester-specific reference intervals.

Methods: We included prospective cohorts participating in the Consortium on Thyroid and Pregnancy.

Maternal thyroid peroxidase antibody positivity and its association with incidence of low birth weight in infants.

Background: Autoimmune thyroid disease is a prevalent condition affecting women of reproductive age, leading to thyroid dysfunction and impacting pregnancy outcomes. While the critical role of thyroid hormone in pregnancy outcomes is well-established, the potential association between positive anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with normal thyroid function remains unclear.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between maternal TPOAb positivity and adverse pregnancy outcomes with normal thyroid function.

Extracellular status of thrombospondin-2 in type 2 diabetes mellitus and utility as a biomarker in the determination of early diabetic kidney disease.

Objective: Thrombospondin-2 (TSP-2) is a multifunctional matricellular glycoprotein correlated with glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Investigation of the association of TSP-2 with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the potential diagnostic value of serum TSP-2 for detecting early diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is needed.

Research Design And Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for detection serum TSP-2 levels in 494 Chinese T2DM subjects.

Association between third trimester maternal isolated hypothyroxinemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

To study the effects of third trimester maternal isolated hypothyroxinemia (serum low free thyroxine and normal thyroid stimulating hormone level) on pregnancy outcomes, we performed a retrospective cohort study in women with singleton pregnancy between February 2009 and June 2012. Pregnant women were assigned to two groups, a hypothyroxinemia group (with maternal isolated hypothyroxinemia in the third trimester and normal thyroid function in the first and second trimesters) and a control group (with normal serum thyroid functions). The pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, fetal distress, birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, and Apgar score at one minute after the birth, were recorded and compared between the two groups.

Cytotoxic secondary metabolites isolated from sp. YT2019-3321, an endophytic fungus derived from .

Introduction: Endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants have proven to possess a high potential to produce structurally diverse metabolites, some of which are valuable for medicinal applications. In this study, sp. YT2019-3321, an endophytic fungus derived from traditional Chinese medicine Lonicera japonica, was chemically studied.

Polyketides isolated from an endophyte 2021CDF-3 inhibit pancreatic tumor growth.

Fungal secondary metabolites are inherently considered valuable resources for new drugs discovery. To search for novel fungal secondary metabolites with lead compounds potential, a fungal strain 2021CDF-3, an endophyte of the marine red algae , was chemically studied. Cultivation of this fungus on solid rice medium yielded 10 structurally diverse metabolites (-), including two new polyketides, namely oxalichroman A () and oxalihexane A ().

TSH and FT4 Reference Intervals in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Context: Interpretation of thyroid function tests during pregnancy is limited by the generalizability of reference intervals between cohorts due to inconsistent methodology.

Objective: (1) To provide an overview of published reference intervals for thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) in pregnancy, (2) to assess the consequences of common methodological between-study differences by combining raw data from different cohorts.

Methods: (1) Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched until December 12, 2021.

Zinc Supplementation Prevented Type 2 Diabetes-Induced Liver Injury Mediated by the Nrf2-MT Antioxidative Pathway.

Zinc is an essential trace element that is often reduced under the type 1 diabetic condition. Previous studies demonstrated that zinc deficiency enhanced type 1 diabetes-induced liver injury and that zinc supplementation significantly helped to prevent this. Due to the differences in pathogenesis between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, it is unknown whether zinc supplementation can induce a beneficial effect on type 2 diabetes-induced liver injury.

Astaxanthin attenuates alcoholic cardiomyopathy via inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated cardiac apoptosis.

Chronic excessive ethanol consumption is associated with a high incidence of mortality due to ethanol-induced dilated cardiomyopathy, known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Mechanistic studies have demonstrated that apoptosis is key to the pathogenesis of ACM, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated apoptosis contributes to various ethanol-related diseases. Astaxanthin (AST) is a natural carotenoid that exerts an anti-ER stress effect.

Insignificant Effect of Isolated Hypothyroxinemia on Pregnancy Outcomes During the First and Second Trimester of Pregnancy.

Adverse maternal outcomes and perinatal complications are associated with overt and subclinical maternal hypothyroidism. It is not clear whether these complications also occur in women with isolated hypothyroxinemia during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of isolated hypothyroxinemia on maternal and perinatal outcomes during pregnancy.

Association of maternal thyroid function with birthweight: a systematic review and individual-participant data meta-analysis.

Background: Adequate transplacental passage of maternal thyroid hormone is important for normal fetal growth and development. Maternal overt hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are associated with low birthweight, but important knowledge gaps remain regarding the effect of subclinical thyroid function test abnormalities on birthweight-both in general and during the late second and third trimester of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to examine associations of maternal thyroid function with birthweight.

Therapeutic Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 on Diabetic Nephropathy and the Possible Mechanism in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Mice.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been only reported to prevent type 1 diabetic nephropathy (DN) in the streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) mouse model. However, the FVB (Cg)-Tg (Cryaa-Tag, Ins2-CALM1) 26OVE/PneJ (OVE26) transgenic mouse is a widely recommended mouse model to recapture the most important features of T1DM nephropathy that often occurs in diabetic patients. In addition, most previous studies focused on exploring the preventive effect of FGF21 on the development of DN.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Attenuates Diabetes-Induced Renal Fibrosis by Negatively Regulating TGF-β-p53-Smad2/3-Mediated Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via Activation of AKT.

Background: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is required for renal fibrosis, which is a characteristic of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Our previous study demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) prevented DN associated with the suppressing renal connective tissue growth factor expression, a key marker of renal fibrosis. Therefore, the effects of FGF21 on renal fibrosis in a DN mouse model and the underlying mechanisms were investigated in this study.

Clopidogrel Reduces Fibronectin Accumulation and Improves Diabetes-Induced Renal Fibrosis.

Hyperglycemia-induced renal fibrosis causes end-stage renal disease. Clopidogrel, a platelet inhibitor, is often administered to decrease cardiovascular events in diabetic patients. We investigated whether clopidogrel can reduce diabetes-induced renal fibrosis in a streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes murine model and fibronectin involvement in this protective response.

The role of FGF21 in type 1 diabetes and its complications.

Data from the International Diabetes Federation show that 347 million people worldwide have diabetes, and the incidence is still rising. Although the treatment of diabetes has been advanced, the current therapeutic options and outcomes, complications, are yet far from ideal. Therefore, an urgent need exists for the development of more effective therapies.

A novel compound heterozygous mutation in the CYP17A1 gene in a patient with 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency.

Purpose: 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency is a rare disease caused by mutation of the CYP17A1 gene, resulting in hypertension, hypokalemia, alkalosis, female hypogonadism, and male pseudohermaphroditism. Here we report a case of a 15-year-old girl with 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency, and analyze her clinical and molecular genetic characteristics.

Patient And Methods: A 15-year-old Chinese girl had fever, fatigue, high blood pressure, and blood potassium level being significantly lower than normal.

The correlation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with the presence and activity of myasthenia gravis.

Though the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG) is not fully understood, the role of inflammation has been well appreciated in the development of MG. We aimed to investigate the role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in MG patients and the relationship between the NLR and the activity of the disease. A total number of 172 MG patients and 207 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study.

Physiological and Pharmacological Roles of FGF21 in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most severe diseases in clinics. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is regarded as an important metabolic regulator playing a therapeutic role in diabetes and its complications. The heart is a key target as well as a source of FGF21 which is involved in heart development and also induces beneficial effects in CVDs.