Hemoglobin glycation index as a useful predictor of therapeutic responses to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: A high hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level are associated with greater inflammatory status, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors can suppress inflammation. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between HGI and the therapeutic effect of DPP-4 inhibitors.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study followed 468 patients with type 2 diabetes receiving DPP-4 inhibitor treatment for 1 year.

Higher serum total bilirubin concentration is associated with lower risk of renal insufficiency in an adult population.

Background: Chronic inflammation is proposed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and serum bilirubin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the association between serum total bilirubin (Tb) concentration and renal function in an adult population.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and collected anthropometric measurements, fasting blood tests, lifestyle habits and medical history of 3876 subjects attending a health examination.

A new formula for estimation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in an ethnic Chinese population.

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is usually estimated by the Friedewald formula (FF) calculated from three parameters, namely, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). We aimed to develop a new and simple formula (NF) for LDL-C estimation.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled two study populations (a testing group, n=16,749, and a validation group, n=4940).

A short-term smoking cessation may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Smoking cessation is beneficial for health. However, its potential harmful impact on metabolic syndrome has yet to be clarified. Six smokers who attended the smoking cessation clinic were recruited and given the nicotine replacement therapy for 3 months.

Dynamic and dual effects of glycated hemoglobin on estimated glomerular filtration rate in type 2 diabetic outpatients.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of incident end-stage renal disease in Taiwan. Previous studies on the consistent benefits of glycemic control in diabetic nephropathy focused primarily on delaying microalbuminuria. However, this effect on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) remains controversial.

Factors related to clinical hypothyroid severity in thyroid cancer patients after thyroid hormone withdrawal.

Background: Thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) to stimulate thyrotropin (TSH) secretion produces acute thyroid hormone deficiency in patients who have undergone thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), but not all patients developed clinically overt features of hypothyroidism. This prospective study was performed to test the hypothesis that selected factors, including serum thyroid hormone levels and insulin resistance, are associated with the development of overt features of hypothyroidism.

Methods: Thirty-two patients (27 women, aged 51.

The effects of calcium channel blocker benidipine and calmodulin antagonist W7 on GDP-binding capacity of brown adipose tissue in mice.

It has been suggested that increased dietary calcium intake can attenuate obesity. Calcium antagonists, such as benidipine, also have been shown to have an anti-obesity effect. However, the mechanism for calcium-related anti-obesity effect has not yet been established.

Tissue metallothionein concentrations in mice and humans with hyperglycemia.

Besides participating in tissue zinc homeostasis and protecting against heavy metal toxicities, metallothionein (MT) is known as an antioxidant. Increased MT activity can ameliorate diabetic hyperglycemia, and subjects with less MT synthesis are more prone to diabetic complications. However, whether tissue MT status is varied in the subjects with diabetes mellitus remains unclear.

Cdk5 regulates STAT3 activation and cell proliferation in medullary thyroid carcinoma cells.

The biological behaviors of thyroid cancer are varied, and the pathological mechanisms remain unclear. Some reports indicated an apparent aggregation of amyloid accompanying medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Amyloid aggregation in neurodegeneration leads to hyperactivation of Cdk5 and subsequent neuronal death.

Relative reduced plasma zinc concentration in middle-aged but not elderly adults in Taiwan.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient and its deficiency relates to many diseases like diabetes mellitus. Although zinc deficiency has become prevalent in many countries, this subject has not yet been studied in Taiwan. The present study was designed to investigate whether healthy elderly Taiwanese have reduced circulating zinc concentrations.

Zinc supplementation attenuates thioacetamide-induced liver injury and hyperglycemia in mice.

Zinc supplementation has been shown to improve not only liver dysfunction but also glucose intolerance in subjects with liver cirrhosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of zinc supplementation on the changes in circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and total antioxidant capacity in mice with thioacetamide-induced liver injury. The protective effect of concurrent zinc administration for thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity was also examined.

Simvastatin reduces plasma concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in type 2 diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is positively associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease by epidemiologic data. Prospective studies indicate that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors reduced the plasma hs-CRP concentration and the risk of recurrent coronary events after myocardial infarction. Type 2 diabetes is associated with high mortality risk of coronary heart disease and this high risk may be involved in the inflammatory factors.