Objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) with advanced fibrosis usually has a deteriorated prognosis, which was mainly attributed to cardiovascular cause. We investigated whether advanced fibrosis assessed by noninvasive fibrosis markers was associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in NAFLD patients.
Methods: A total of 2550 participants with ultrasound confirmed NAFLD from a community based population study were included in the present analysis. NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) derived from available parameters was calculated to assess severity of fibrosis of the NAFLD patients. The NAFLD patients with a NFS > 0.676 indicated of presence of advanced fibrosis. The carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid plaques and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) were used as the indicators of early atherosclerosis.
Results: NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis had higher CIMT and ba-PWV, compared with those without fibrosis (CIMT: 0.65 versus 0.57 mm; ba-PWV: 1884 versus 1535 cm/s, both p < 0.0001). Participants with advanced fibrosis were more likely to have higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA_IR, 3.28 versus 2.45, p < 0.0001). After adjusting the confounders, participants with advanced fibrosis associated with 1.98-folds increased risk for elevated CIMT, 2.28-folds increased risk for present carotid plaque and 2.68-folds increased risk for arterial stiffness, respectively, as compared to participants without fibrosis. After further adjustment for HOMA_IR, the positive associations did not appreciably change.
Conclusion: Advanced fibrosis indicated by NFS was positively associated with CIMT, presence of carotid plaque and arterial stiffness in the NAFLD patients, independent of conventional cardiometabolic risk factors and insulin resistance.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.05.002 | DOI Listing |
Rev Cardiovasc Med
January 2025
Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, 637000 Nanchong, Sichuan, China.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the ultimate manifestation of the myocardial response to various genetic and environmental changes and is characterized mainly by impaired left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. DCM can ultimately lead to heart failure, ventricular arrhythmia (VA), and sudden cardiac death (SCD), making it a primary indication for heart transplantation. With advancements in modern medicine, several novel techniques for evaluating myocardial involvement and disease severity from diverse perspectives have been developed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Stem Cells
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100730, China.
Endometrial injury caused by repeated uterine procedures, infections, inflammation, or uterine artery dysfunction can deplete endometrial stem/progenitor cells and impair regeneration, thereby diminishing endometrial receptivity and evidently lowering the live birth, clinical pregnancy, and embryo implantation rates. Currently, safe and effective clinical treatment methods or gene-targeted therapies are unavailable, especially for severe endometrial injury. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles are characterized by their simple collection, rapid proliferation, low immunogenicity, and tumorigenicity, along with their involvement in regulating angiogenesis, immune response, cell apoptosis and proliferation, inflammatory response, and fibrosis, Therefore, these cells and vesicles hold broad potential for application in endometrial repair.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiofilm
June 2025
CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
Antibiotics are central to managing airway infections in cystic fibrosis (CF), yet current treatments often fail due to the presence of biofilms, settling down the need for seeking therapies targeting biofilms. This study aimed to investigate the antibiofilm activity of aspartic acid and its potential as an adjuvant to tobramycin against biofilms formed by mucoid and small colony variant (SCV) tobramycin tolerant strain. We assessed the effect of aspartic acid on both surface-attached and suspended biofilms within CF artificial mucus and investigated the synergistic impact of combining it with non-lethal tobramycin concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiver Int
February 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Background And Aims: The performance of non-invasive liver tests (NITs) is known to vary across settings and subgroups. We systematically evaluated whether the performance of three NITs in detecting advanced fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) varies with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) status or liver enzymes.
Methods: Data from 586 adult LITMUS Metacohort participants with histologically characterised MASLD were included.
Stem Cell Res Ther
January 2025
Organoid Innovation Center, Suzhou Institute of Nanotech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 398 Ruoshui Rd, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.
The lack of in vivo accurate human liver models hinders the investigation of liver-related diseases, injuries, and drug-related toxicity, posing challenges for both basic research and clinical applications. Traditional cellular and animal models, while widely used, have significant limitations in replicating the liver's complex responses to various stressors. Liver organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells, adult stem cells primary cells, or tissues can mimic diverse liver cell types, major physiological functions, and architectural features.
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