Serum biomarkers combined with ultrasonography for early diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease confirmed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is notably accurate for even minimal degree of hepatic steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). But routine use of MRS is limited by its cost and availability. In this study, we developed a diagnostic model combining ultrasonography with biomarkers to identify mild NAFLD, with MRS as the reference standard.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a spectrum of pathologies ranging from uncomplicated hepatic fat accumulation to a state of lobular inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning, known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers or effective therapeutic options established for NAFLD. Nevertheless, there are several molecular targets in the pipeline, of which fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is one.

The Predictive Role of the Biomarker Kidney Molecule-1 (KIM-1) in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) following platinum-based chemotherapeutics is a frequently reported serious side-effect. However, there are no approved biomarkers that can properly identify proximal tubular injury while routine assessments such as serum creatinine lack sensitivity. Kidney-injury-molecule 1 (KIM-1) is showing promise in identifying cisplatin-induced renal injury both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Clinical and genetic predictors of diabetes drug's response.

Diabetes is a major health problem worldwide. Glycemic control is the main goal in the management of type 2 diabetes. While many anti-diabetic drugs and guidelines are available, almost half of diabetic patients do not reach their treatment goal and develop complications.

BMP7 improves insulin signal transduction in the liver via inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family, plays pivotal roles in energy expenditure. However, whether and how BMP7 regulates hepatic insulin sensitivity is still poorly understood. Here, we show that hepatic BMP7 expression is reduced in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice and palmitate (PA)-induced insulin-resistant HepG2 and AML12 cells.

Cost-Utility of Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity with a BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2: a Multi-Center Study with a 4-Year Follow-Up of Surgical Cohort.

Objectives: To find whether Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery was cost effective compared to conventional medical management (CMM) in Chinese patients with type 2 Diabetes(T2D) and obesity with a body mass index (BMI) ≥27.5 kg/m in four years.

Methods: A total of 106 obese T2D individuals who underwent RYGB and 106 T2D patients treated with CMM were enrolled from three academic medical centers.

Pharmacogenetic Implications of eNOS Polymorphisms (, , ) in Cardiovascular Drug Therapy.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3 or eNOS) is the enzyme responsible for the highest production of nitric oxide, with the greatest impact on the cardiovascular system, encoded by the eNOS gene, which presents various polymorphisms. ENOS gene polymorphisms play an important role in the response to drugs affecting nitric oxide (NO) signaling. This review discusses the pharmacogenetic impact of eNOS polymorphisms on the response to drugs affecting NO activity: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, calcium blockers, beta-blockers, diuretics, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and statins.

Activation of G0/G1 switch gene 2 by endoplasmic reticulum stress enhances hepatic steatosis.

Background: Perturbed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis and increased levels of G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 (G0S2) have been documented in animal models with fatty liver disease. In this study, we investigated whether G0S2 is regulated by branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and contributes to ER stress-induced hepatic steatosis.

Methods: We first analyzed G0S2 expression and the state of the three canonical UPR branches in several hepatic steatosis models, tunicamycin-treated C57BL/6J mice and HepG2 cells, where ER homeostasis was perturbed.

Clinical Targets for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Interpretation: Recommendations From the International Consensus on Time in Range.

Improvements in sensor accuracy, greater convenience and ease of use, and expanding reimbursement have led to growing adoption of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). However, successful utilization of CGM technology in routine clinical practice remains relatively low. This may be due in part to the lack of clear and agreed-upon glycemic targets that both diabetes teams and people with diabetes can work toward.

Decreased Leptin Is Associated with Alterations in Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery in Obese Euthyroid Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Leptin has been shown to stimulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in vivo and vitro. Its role in thyroid axis regulation after weight loss induced by bariatric surgery is still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of leptin on weight loss and thyroid function variation induced by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery in euthyroid individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Metabolic phenotypes and the gut microbiota in response to dietary resistant starch type 2 in normal-weight subjects: a randomized crossover trial.

Resistant starch (RS) has been reported to reduce body fat in obese mice. However, this effect has not been demonstrated in humans. In this study, we tested the effects of RS in 19 volunteers with normal body weights.

Coffee consumption is positively related to insulin secretion in the Shanghai High-Risk Diabetic Screen (SHiDS) Study.

Background: It has been proved that coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. But the benefit effect of coffee on hyperglycemia in Chinese population was largely unknown. Besides, the relationship of coffee intake and diabetic pathogenesis was still unclear.

High-throughput determination of the antigen specificities of T cell receptors in single cells.

We present tetramer-associated T-cell receptor sequencing (TetTCR-seq) to link T cell receptor (TCR) sequences to their cognate antigens in single cells at high throughput. Binding is determined using a library of DNA-barcoded antigen tetramers that is rapidly generated by in vitro transcription and translation. We applied TetTCR-seq to identify patterns in TCR cross-reactivity with cancer neoantigens and to rapidly isolate neoantigen-specific TCRs with no cross-reactivity to the wild-type antigen.

Determining Factors of Arterial Stiffness in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clustering entity characterized by obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Early detection of atherosclerosis is important in patients with MS because cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality in these patients.

Methods: We aimed to investigate the factors influencing arterial stiffness, pulse wave velocity, and the augmentation index, respectively, in 150 subjects with MS (94 women and 56 men; mean age 60.

Serum Metabolomics Study of Gliclazide-Modified-Release-Treated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method.

Sulfonylureas are one of the commonly used drugs in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but with considerable incidence of monotherapy failure. However, the mechanism of patients' drug response is unclear, and suitability evaluation biomarkers are in urgent need for precision medicine. In this study, a pseudotargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was employed to investigate the serum metabolic profiling of 66 significant responders and 24 nonsignificant responders at baseline and 16 weeks after gliclazide modified-release (MR) monotherapy.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 increases insulin sensitivity through specific expansion of subcutaneous fat.

Although the pharmacological effects of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) are well-documented, uncertainty about its role in regulating excessive energy intake remains. Here, we show that FGF21 improves systemic insulin sensitivity by promoting the healthy expansion of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Serum FGF21 levels positively correlate with the SAT area in insulin-sensitive obese individuals.

International Consensus on Use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

Measurement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA) has been the traditional method for assessing glycemic control. However, it does not reflect intra- and interday glycemic excursions that may lead to acute events (such as hypoglycemia) or postprandial hyperglycemia, which have been linked to both microvascular and macrovascular complications. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), either from real-time use (rtCGM) or intermittently viewed (iCGM), addresses many of the limitations inherent in HbA testing and self-monitoring of blood glucose.

Complementary Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Cytokeratin 18 in Monitoring the Different Stages of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and cytokeratin 18 (CK18) were previously reported to be elevated in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aim to analyze the differential roles of FGF21, cell apoptosis marker CK18 fragment M30 and total cell death marker CK18 M65ED in monitoring the different stages of NAFLD spectrum in a population-based prospective cohort comprising 808 Chinese subjects. Predictive performances for monitoring the different stages of NAFLD were assessed by logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

5-ALA ameliorates hepatic steatosis through AMPK signaling pathway.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), the first compound in the porphyrin synthesis pathway, has been reported to ameliorate the diabetic state in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats by reducing fat pad weight in the retroperitoneal region. Dietary supplementation with 5-ALA has additionally demonstrated the capacity to lower blood glucose and HbA1c levels among subjects with diabetes. The etiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is complex and its typical characteristics include obesity and insulin resistance.

The ratio of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid to deoxycholic acid species is a potential biomarker for the metabolic abnormalities in obesity.

Bile acid (BA) signaling regulates fatty acid metabolism. BA dysregulation plays an important role in the development of metabolic disease. However, BAs in relation to fatty acids have not been fully investigated in obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Effect of Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery on Thyroid Hormone Levels in Chinese Patients, Could It Be a Risk for Thyroid Nodules?

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the changes in thyroid function and the risk of thyroid tumors after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 117 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity who underwent laparoscopic RYGB (LRYGB) and were followed up for 36 months. Thyroids were examined with ultrasonography.

Waist circumference-dependent peripheral monocytes change after gliclazide treatment for Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

Gliclazide used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) stimulates insulin secretion and influences peripheral blood monocytes. The roles of gliclazide in peripheral monocytes of newly diagnosed T2DM patients were investigated in this study. A total of 105 newly diagnosed T2DM patients with no history of antihyperglycemic medication were treated with gliclazide-modified release for 16 weeks.

Effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on the remission of type 2 diabetes: a 3-year study in Chinese patients with a BMI <30 kg/m.

Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and morbid obesity. However, T2D remission after surgery has not been adequately studied in Chinese patients with a body mass index (BMI)<30 kg/m.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the 3-year effect of RYGB among patients with T2D with a BMI<30 kg/m and elucidate the predictors of T2D remission.

"Dual-remission" after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: Glycemic variability cannot always be improved in Chinese obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Glycemic variability after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) has not been adequately examined in Chinese obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Objective: We aimed to evaluate glucose variability after RYGB by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and then evaluate the remission rate based on the complete diabetes remission criteria combined with normal ranges of CGM for the Chinese population, which we defined as "dual-remission."

Setting: The study was done at our academic university-affiliated hospital.