Purpose: In molecular epidemiologic studies, optimizing the use of available biological specimens while minimizing the cost is always a challenge. This is particularly true in pilot studies, which often have limited funding and involve small numbers of biological samples too small for assessment of recently developed biomarkers.
Methods: In this study we examined several statistical approaches for determining how many experimental subjects to use in a biomarker study and how many repeated measurements to make on each sample, given specific funding considerations and the correlated nature of the repeated measurements.
Results: A molecular epidemiology study of DNA repair and aging in basal cell carcinoma was used to illustrate the application of the statistical methods proposed.
Conclusions: Our methods extend traditional designs on biomarker studies with repeated measurements to including funding constraints.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1047-2797(02)00261-2 | DOI Listing |
Endocrinol Diabetes Metab
January 2025
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Objective: This study investigates the relationship between the albumin-to-creatinine ratio and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in US adults using NHANES data from 2009 to 2016. This study assesses the predictive efficacy of the urinary serum albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR/SACR Ratio) against traditional biomarkers such as the serum albumin-to-creatinine ratio (SACR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) for evaluating DR risk. Additionally, the study explores the potential of these biomarkers, both individually and in combination with HbA1c, for early detection and risk stratification of DR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetab Brain Dis
January 2025
Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark.
Background & Aims: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), one of the most serious prognostic factors for mortality in alcohol-related cirrhosis (ALD cirrhosis), is not recorded in Danish healthcare registries. However, treatment of HE with lactulose, the universal first-line treatment, can be identified through data on filled prescriptions. This study aimed to investigate if lactulose can be used as a surrogate marker of HE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Genet
January 2025
Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
This study aimed to identify shared gene expression related to circadian rhythm disruption in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to discover common diagnostic biomarkers. Visceral fat RNA samples were collected from 12 PCOS and 14 non-PCOS patients, a sample size representing the clinical situation and sufficient to capture PCOS gene expression profiles. Along with liver transcriptome profiles from NAFLD patients, these data were analyzed to identify crosstalk circadian rhythm-related genes (CRRGs) between the diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Gastrointest Cancer
January 2025
Colorectal Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Keshavarz Blvd, Tehran, Iran.
Purpose: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an important prognostic factor for rectal cancer. This study aims to introduce a novel cutoff point for CEA within the normal range to improve prognosis prediction and enhance patient stratification in rectal cancer patients.
Methods: A total of 316 patients with stages I to III rectal cancer who underwent surgical tumor resection were enrolled.
Mol Biol Rep
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey.
Background: Chemokines and their receptors, which regulate lymphoid organ development and immune cell trafficking, are integral to the mechanisms underlying viral control, hepatic inflammation, and liver damage in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. This study explores the potential relationship between serum chemokine levels/polymorphisms and hepatitis C infection in affected individuals, with a particular focus on their utility as biomarkers across different stages of fibrosis.
Methods And Results: Serum levels of the chemokines CXCL11, CXCL12, and CXCL16 were measured in patients with mild/moderate and advanced fibrosis due to CHC, as well as in healthy controls, using the ELISA method.
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