Lipocalin 2-A bone-derived anorexigenic and β-cell promoting signal: From mice to humans.

The skeleton is traditionally known for its structural support, organ protection, movement, and maintenance of mineral homeostasis. Over the last 10 years, bone has emerged as an endocrine organ with diverse physiological functions. The two key molecules in this context are fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), secreted by osteocytes, and osteocalcin, a hormone produced by osteoblasts.

Clinical and molecular characterization of 10 Chinese children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency.

Background: The clinical manifestations of nonclassical 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency are very similar to those of non-classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency. For this study, we investigated the relationship between the clinical and molecular features of congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency and reviewed the related literature, which are expected to provide assistance for the clinical diagnosis and analysis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Methods: Clinical data for 10 Chinese patients diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia in our hospital from 2018 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.

Effects of a low-sodium diet in patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) is one of the most common types of primary aldosteronism (PA), an important cause of hypertension. Although high dietary sodium is a major risk factor for hypertension, there is no consensus on the recommended dietary sodium intake for IHA.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of a low-sodium diet on hemodynamic variables and relevant disease biomarkers in IHA patients, with the aim of providing a useful reference for clinical treatment.

Predictive modeling the probability of suffering from metabolic syndrome using machine learning: A population-based study.

Background: There is an increasing trend of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence, which has been considered as an important contributor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancers and diabetes. However, there is often a long asymptomatic phase of MetS, resulting in not diagnosed and intervened so timely as needed. It would be very helpful to explore tools to predict the probability of suffering from MetS in daily life or routinely clinical practice.

Icaritin, a metabolite of Icarrin, Alleviates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via inhibition of lipogenesis and ER stress.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most serious global public health concerns. However, there are currently no effective drugs for treatment of this disease. Icariin (ICA), a small-molecule natural product extracted from Epimedium brevicornu Maxim, offers various pharmacological activities.

Serum lipidomics profiles reveal potential lipid markers for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in patients from multiple communities.

Objective: Dyslipidemia is a hallmark of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, specific lipid molecules closely associated with the initiation and progression of diabetes remain unclear. We used a pseudotargeted lipidomics approach to evaluate the complex lipid changes that occurred long before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to identify novel lipid markers for screening prediabetes mellitus (PreDM) and T2DM in patients from multiple communities.

Revealing diverse alternative splicing variants of the highly homologous SMN1 and SMN2 genes by targeted long-read sequencing.

The survival of motor neuron (SMN) genes, SMN1 and SMN2, are two highly homologous genes related to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Different patterns of alternative splicing have been observed in the SMN genes. In this study, the long-read sequencing technique for distinguishing SMN1 and SMN2 without any assembly were developed and applied to reveal multiple alternative splicing patterns and to comprehensively identify transcript variants of the SMN genes.

A Multiclassifier System to Identify and Subtype Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Based on Circulating Steroid Hormones.

Context: Measurement of plasma steroids is necessary for diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). We sought to establish an efficient strategy for detection and subtyping of CAH with a machine-learning algorithm.

Methods: Clinical phenotype and genetic testing were used to provide CAH diagnosis and subtype.

Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside attenuates palmitate-induced lipid accumulation in hepatocytes through AMPK activation.

Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (CG) is the major component of Astragali Radix (AR), a traditional Chinese drug. As reported, CG could attenuate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, protect blood-brain barrier integrity, and ameliorate myocardial infarction. To date, whether CG has a protective effect on metabolic diseases remains to be elucidated.

Prevalence and characteristics of MAFLD in Chinese adults aged 40 years or older: A community-based study.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was recently proposed to be renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) with the diagnostic criteria revised. We investigated the similarities and differences in the prevalence and clinical characteristics of MAFLD and NAFLD in Chinese adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 9980 Chinese individuals aged 40 years or older was performed between 2011 and 2012 using randomized, stratified cluster sampling in Shanghai, China.

Factors That Affect the Sensitivity of Imaging Modalities in Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

Background: Cervical ultrasound, Tc-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (Tc-MIBI SPECT/CT), and cervical CT are routinely used in preoperative localization of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). However, false-negative imaging results are also frequently encountered in clinical practice. Exploring the factors that affect the sensitivity of these imaging modalities is important for the surgical management of PHPT patients.

Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (betatrophin) inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in diabetic mice.

Background & Aims: Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) is a 198 amino-acid long, novel secreted protein that is mainly expressed in the liver and brown adipose tissues. At present, evidence supporting the involvement of ANGPTL8 in the regulation of glucose metabolism is inconclusive, along with its function in the liver. Previous studies mainly focused on the effect of ANGPTL8 on glucose metabolism in non-diabetic mice, and few relevant studies in diabetic mice exist.

The Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine Jinlida Granules on Glycemic Variability in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes: A Double-Blinded, Randomized Trial.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of Jinlida granules on glycemic variability with or without metformin treatment in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. This study was a 16-week, double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial. The enrolled patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into four groups: control, Jinlida, metformin, and combination treatment groups.

The prognostic value of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin in the management of Graves' disease.

Background: The bioassay of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin was reported to have a similar performance to the commonly used thyroid-stimulating hormone binding inhibition assay, also known as thyroid receptor antibody assay. The normal reference range of thyroid receptor antibody levels indicates the withdrawal of anti-thyroid drugs in the recent clinical guidelines.

Methods: A prospective, longitudinal observational study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin in patients with Graves' disease.

Effects of the hemoglobin glycation index on hyperglycemia diagnosis: Results from the REACTION study.

Aims: This study aimed to assess the effects of the hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) on hyperglycemia diagnosis and summarize the general characteristics of patients with a high-HGI phenotype.

Methods: The fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of participants (n = 47,648) were used to estimate a linear regression equation and determine the baseline HGI. Overall, 42,317 participants without a history of diabetes were included in the final analysis.

The Associations of Serum Osteocalcin and Cortisol Levels With the Psychological Performance in Primary Hyperparathyroidism Patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate factors responsible for the psychological performance in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients.

Methods: A group of 38 PHPT patients receiving questionnaires, including Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), was evaluated. The relationships between scores of questionnaires and clinical biomarkers were examined.

Expansion of inflammatory monocytes in periphery and infiltrated into thyroid tissue in Graves' disease.

Monocytes are important mediators of immune system and are reported to be altered in autoimmune disorders. Little is known about the pathological role of monocytes in Graves' disease (GD). Thus, we investigated monocytes in periphery and thyroid tissue in GD.

Circulating Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Levels and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

To evaluate the prospective association of circulating PCSK9 levels with the cardiometabolic risk profiles (high LDL-cholesterol, high triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome). A population-based prospective study was conducted among 7,104 Chinese individuals (age 56.2 ± 7.

Gut microbiota-derived propionate mediates the neuroprotective effect of osteocalcin in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no absolute cure. The evidence of the involvement of gut microbiota in PD pathogenesis suggests the need to identify certain molecule(s) derived from the gut microbiota, which has the potential to manage PD. Osteocalcin (OCN), an osteoblast-secreted protein, has been shown to modulate brain function.

CSN5 Promotes Carcinogenesis of Thyroid Carcinoma Cells Through ANGPTL2.

COP9 signalosome subunit 5 (CSN5) plays a key role in carcinogenesis of multiple cancers and contributes to the stabilization of target proteins through deubiquitylation. However, the underlying role of CSN5 in thyroid carcinoma has not been reported. In this research, our data showed that CSN5 was overexpressed in thyroid carcinoma tissues compared with paracancerous tissues.

Metabolite Triplet in Serum Improves the Diagnostic Accuracy of Prediabetes and Diabetes Screening.

Large-scale population screenings are not feasible by applying laborious oral glucose tolerance tests, but using fasting blood glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA), a considerable number of diagnoses are missed. A novel marker is urgently needed to improve the diagnostic accuracy of broad-scale diabetes screening in easy-to-collect blood samples. In this study, by applying a novel knowledge-based, multistage discovery and validation strategy, we scaled down from 108 diabetes-associated metabolites to a diagnostic metabolite triplet (Met-T), namely hexose, 2-hydroxybutyric/2-hydroxyisobutyric acid, and phenylalanine.