Stratifying risk of disease in haematuria patients using machine learning techniques to improve diagnostics.

Background: Detailed and invasive clinical investigations are required to identify the causes of haematuria. Highly unbalanced patient population (predominantly male) and a wide range of potential causes make the ability to correctly classify patients and identify patient-specific biomarkers a major challenge. Studies have shown that it is possible to improve the diagnosis using multi-marker analysis, even in unbalanced datasets, by applying advanced analytical methods. Here, we applied several machine learning algorithms to classify patients from the haematuria patient cohort (HaBio) by analysing multiple biomarkers and to identify the most relevant ones. Materials and methods: We applied several classification and feature selection methods (k-means clustering, decision trees, random forest with LIME explainer and CACTUS algorithm) to stratify patients into two groups: healthy (with no clear cause of haematuria) or sick (with an identified cause of haematuria e.g., bladder cancer, or infection). The classification performance of the models was compared. Biomarkers identified as important by the algorithms were also analysed in relation to their involvement in the pathological processes. Results: Results showed that a high unbalance in the datasets significantly affected the classification by random forest and decision trees, leading to the overestimation of the sick class and low model performance. CACTUS algorithm was more robust to the unbalance in the dataset. CACTUS obtained a balanced accuracy of 0.747 for both genders, 0.718 for females and 0.803 for males. The analysis showed that in the classification process for the whole dataset: microalbumin, male gender, and tPSA emerged as the most informative biomarkers. For males: age, microalbumin, tPSA, cystatin C, BTA, HAD and S100A4 were the most significant biomarkers while for females microalbumin, IL-8, pERK, and CXCL16. Conclusions: CACTUS algorithm demonstrated improved performance compared with other methods such as decision trees and random forest. Additionally, we identified the most relevant biomarkers for the specific patient group, which could be considered in the future as novel biomarkers for diagnosis. Our results have the potential to inform future research and provide new personalised diagnostic approaches tailored directly to the needs of the individuals.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated gallstone disease: expecting more from critical care manifestations.

About 20% of adults worldwide have gallstones which are solid conglomerates in the biliary tree made of cholesterol monohydrate crystals, mucin, calcium bilirubinate, and protein aggregates. About 20% of gallstone patients will definitively develop gallstone disease, a condition which consists of gallstone-related symptoms and/or complications requiring medical therapy, endoscopic procedures, and/or cholecystectomy. Gallstones represent one of the most prevalent digestive disorders in Western countries and patients with gallstone disease are one of the largest categories admitted to European hospitals. About 80% of gallstones in Western countries are made of cholesterol due to disturbed cholesterol homeostasis which involves the liver, the gallbladder and the intestine on a genetic background. The incidence of cholesterol gallstones is dramatically increasing in parallel with the global epidemic of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, expansion of visceral adiposity, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. In this context, gallstones can be largely considered a metabolic dysfunction-associated gallstone disease, a condition prone to specific and systemic preventive measures. In this review we discuss the key pathogenic and clinical aspects of gallstones, as the main clinical consequences of metabolic dysfunction-associated disease.

Large-Scale Plasma Proteome Epitome Profiling is an Efficient Tool for the Discovery of Cancer Biomarkers.

Current proteomic technologies focus on the quantification of protein levels, while little effort is dedicated to the development of system approaches to simultaneously monitor proteome variability and abundance. Protein variants may display different immunogenic epitopes detectable by monoclonal antibodies. Epitope variability results from alternative splicing, posttranslational modifications, processing, degradation, and complex formation and possesses dynamically changing availability of interacting surface structures that frequently serve as reachable epitopes and often carry different functions. Thus, it is highly likely that the presence of some of the accessible epitopes correlates with function under physiological and pathological conditions. To enable the exploration of the impact of protein variation on the immunogenic epitome first, here, we present a robust and analytically validated PEP technology for characterizing immunogenic epitopes of the plasma. To this end, we prepared mAb libraries directed against the normalized human plasma proteome as a complex natural immunogen. Antibody producing hybridomas were selected and cloned. Monoclonal antibodies react with single epitopes, thus profiling with the libraries is expected to profile many epitopes which we define by the mimotopes, as we present here. Screening blood plasma samples from control subjects (n = 558) and cancer patients (n = 598) for merely 69 native epitopes displayed by 20 abundant plasma proteins resulted in distinct cancer-specific epitope panels that showed high accuracy (AUC 0.826-0.966) and specificity for lung, breast, and colon cancer. Deeper profiling (≈290 epitopes of approximately 100 proteins) showed unexpected granularity of the epitope-level expression data and detected neutral and lung cancer-associated epitopes of individual proteins. Biomarker epitope panels selected from a pool of 21 epitopes of 12 proteins were validated in independent clinical cohorts. The results demonstrate the value of PEP as a rich and thus far unexplored source of protein biomarkers with diagnostic potential.

Unveiling IL-33/ST2 Pathway Unbalance in Cardiac Remodeling Due to Obesity in Zucker Fatty Rats.

Obesity is an epidemic condition linked to cardiovascular disease severity and mortality. Fat localization and type represent cardiovascular risk estimators. Importantly, visceral fat secretes adipokines known to promote low-grade inflammation that, in turn, modulate its secretome and cardiac metabolism. In this regard, IL-33 regulates the functions of various immune cells through ST2 binding and-following its role as an immune sensor to infection and stress-is involved in the pro-fibrotic remodeling of the myocardium. Here we further investigated the IL-33/ST2 effects on cardiac remodeling in obesity, focusing on molecular pathways linking adipose-derived IL-33 to the development of fibrosis or hypertrophy. We analyzed the Zucker Fatty rat model, and we developed in vitro models to mimic the adipose and myocardial relationship. We demonstrated a dysregulation of IL-33/ST2 signaling in both adipose and cardiac tissue, where they affected Epac proteins and myocardial gene expression, linked to pro-fibrotic signatures. In Zucker rats, pro-fibrotic effects were counteracted by ghrelin-induced IL-33 secretion, whose release influenced transcription factor expression and ST2 isoforms balance regulation. Finally, the effect of IL-33 signaling is dependent on several factors, such as cell types' origin and the balancing of ST2 isoforms. Noteworthy, it is reasonable to state that considering IL-33 to have a unique protective role should be considered over-simplistic.

Biomarkers to assess the risk of bladder cancer in patients presenting with haematuria are gender-specific.

Introduction: Haematuria is a common red flag symptom of urinary tract cancer. Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common cancer to present with haematuria. Women presenting with haematuria are often underdiagnosed. Currently, no gender-specific tests are utilized in clinical practice. Considerable healthcare resources are needed to investigate causes of haematuria and this study was set up to help identify markers of BC. The aim of the study was to define biomarker algorithms in haematuria patients using an expanded panel of biomarkers to diagnose BC and investigate if the algorithms are gender-specific. Materials and Methods: A total of n=675 patients with a history of haematuria were recruited from Northern Ireland hospitals. Patients were collected on a 2:1 ratio, non-BC (control) n=474: BC n=201. A detailed clinical history, urine and blood samples were collected. Biomarkers, known to be involved in the pathobiology underlying bladder carcinogenesis were investigated. Biomarkers differentially expressed between groups were investigated using Wilcoxon rank sum and linear regression. Results: Biomarkers were gender specific. Two biomarker-algorithms were identified to triage haematuria patients; male - u_NSE, s_PAI-1/tPA, u_midkine, u_NGAL, u_MMP-9/TIMP-1 and s_prolactin (u=urine; s=serum); sensitivity 71.8%, specificity 72.8%; AUROC 0.795; and female urine biomarkers - IL-12p70, IL-13, midkine and clusterin; sensitivity 83.7%, specificity 79.7%; AUROC 0.865. Addition of the clinical variable infection to both algorithms increased both AUROC to 0.822 (DeLong p=0.014) and to 0.923 (DeLong p=0.004) for males and females, respectively. Combining clinical risk factors with biomarker algorithms would enable application of the algorithms to triage haematuria patients. Conclusion: Using gender-specific biomarker algorithms in combination with clinical risks that are associated with BC would allow clinicians to better manage haematuria patients and potentially reduce underdiagnosis in females. In this study, we demonstrate, for the first time, that blood and urine biomarkers are gender-specific when assessing risk of BC in patients who present with blood in their urine. Combining biomarker data with clinical factors could improve triage when referring patients for further investigations.

Biomarkers for Detecting Kidney Dysfunction in Type-2 Diabetics and Diabetic Nephropathy Subjects: A Case-Control Study to Identify Potential Biomarkers of DN to Stratify Risk of Progression in T2D Patients.

Introduction: Currently there are no biomarkers that are predictive of when patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) will progress to more serious kidney disease i.e., diabetic nephropathy (DN). Biomarkers that could identify patients at risk of progression would allow earlier, more aggressive treatment intervention and management, reducing patient morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: Study participants (N=88; control n=26; T2D n=32; DN n=30) were recruited from the renal unit at Antrim Area Hospital, Antrim, UK; Whiteabbey Hospital Diabetic Clinic, Newtownabbey, UK; Ulster University (UU), Belfast, UK; and the University of the Third Age (U3A), Belfast, UK; between 2019 and 2020. Venous blood and urine were collected with a detailed clinical history for each study participant. Results: In total, 13/25 (52.0%) biomarkers measured in urine and 25/34 (73.5%) biomarkers measured in serum were identified as significantly different between control, T2D and DN participants. DN patients, were older, smoked more, had higher systolic blood pressure and higher serum creatinine levels and lower eGFR function. Serum biomarkers significantly inversely correlated with eGFR. Conclusion: This pilot-study identified several serum biomarkers that could be used to predict progression of T2D to more serious kidney disease: namely, midkine, sTNFR1 and 2, H-FABP and Cystatin C. Our results warrant confirmation in a longitudinal study using a larger patient cohort.

A Novel Combination of Serum Markers in a Multivariate Model to Help Triage Patients Into "Low-" and "High-Risk" Categories for Prostate Cancer.

Background: Almost 50,000 men in the United Kingdom (UK) are diagnosed each year with prostate cancer (PCa). Secondary referrals for investigations rely on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and digital rectal examination. However, both tests lack sensitivity and specificity, resulting in unnecessary referrals to secondary care for costly and invasive biopsies. Materials and Methods: Serum samples and clinical information were collected from N = 125 age-matched patients (n = 61 non-PCa and n = 64 PCa) and analyzed using Biochip Array Technology on high-sensitivity cytokine array I (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1α, IL-1ß, TNFα, MCP-1, INFγ, EGF, and VEGF), cerebral array II (CRP, D-dimer, neuron-specific enolase, and sTNFR1), and tumor PSA oncology array (fPSA, tPSA, and CEA). Results: The data showed that 11/19 (68.8%) markers were significantly different between the non-PCa and the PCa patients. A combination of EGF, log10 IL-8, log10 MCP-1, and log10 tPSA significantly improved the predictive potential of tPSA alone to identify patients with PCa (DeLong, p < 0.001). This marker combination had an increased area under the receiver operator characteristic (0.860 vs. 0.700), sensitivity (78.7 vs. 68.9%), specificity (76.5 vs. 67.2%), PPV (76.2 vs. 66.7%), and NPV (79.0 vs. 69.4%) compared with tPSA. Conclusions: The novel combination of serum markers identified in this study could be employed to help triage patients into "low-" and "high-risk" categories, allowing general practitioners to improve the management of patients in primary care settings and potentially reducing the number of referrals for unnecessary, invasive, and costly treatments.

Clinical features and predictive biomarkers for bladder cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes presenting with haematuria.

AIMS: To identify clinical features and protein biomarkers associated with bladder cancer (BC) in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus presenting with haematuria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data collected from the Haematuria Biomarker (HaBio) study was used in this analysis. A matched sub-cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and patients without diabetes was created based on age, sex, and BC diagnosis, using approximately a 1:2 fixed ratio. Randox Biochip Array Technology and ELISA were applied for measurement of 66 candidate serum and urine protein biomarkers. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank sum test for clinical features and candidate protein biomarkers. Diagnostic protein biomarker models were identified using Lasso-based binominal regression analysis. RESULTS: There was no difference in BC grade, stage, and severity between individuals with type 2 diabetes and matched controls. Incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was significantly higher in patients with type 2 diabetes (p = 0.008), and CKD was significantly associated with BC in patients with type 2 diabetes (p = 0.032). A biomarker model, incorporating two serum (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor) and three urine (interleukin 6, cytokeratin 18, and cytokeratin 8) proteins, predicted incidence of BC with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.84 in individuals with type 2 diabetes. In people without diabetes, the AUC was 0.66. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the potential clinical utility of a biomarker panel, which includes proteins related to BC pathogenesis and type 2 diabetes, for monitoring risk of BC in patients with type 2 diabetes. Earlier urology referral of patients with type 2 diabetes will improve outcomes for these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN25823942.

A novel algorithm for cardiovascular screening using conjunctival microcirculatory parameters and blood biomarkers.

Microvascular haemodynamic alterations are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The conjunctival microcirculation can easily be assessed non-invasively. However, the microcirculation of the conjunctiva has not been previously explored in clinical algorithms aimed at identifying patients with CAD. This case-control study involved 66 patients with post-myocardial infarction and 66 gender-matched healthy controls. Haemodynamic properties of the conjunctival microcirculation were assessed with a validated iPhone and slit lamp-based imaging tool. Haemodynamic properties were extracted with semi-automated software and compared between groups. Biomarkers implicated in the development of CAD were assessed in combination with conjunctival microcirculatory parameters. The conjunctival blood vessel parameters and biomarkers were used to derive an algorithm to aid in the screening of patients for CAD. Conjunctival blood velocity measured in combination with the blood biomarkers (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and adiponectin) had an area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.967, sensitivity 93.0%, specificity 91.5% for CAD. This study demonstrated that the novel algorithm which included a combination of conjunctival blood vessel haemodynamic properties, and blood-based biomarkers could be used as a potential screening tool for CAD and should be validated for potential utility in asymptomatic individuals.

VEGF-A-related genetic variants protect against Alzheimer's disease.

The Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype has been shown to be the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, both the lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) are involved in the development of AD. The aim of the study was to develop a prediction model for AD including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of APOE, LSR and VEGF-A-related variants. The population consisted of 323 individuals (143 AD cases and 180 controls). Genotyping was performed for: the APOE common polymorphism (rs429358 and rs7412), two LSR variants (rs34259399 and rs916147) and 10 VEGF-A-related SNPs (rs6921438, rs7043199, rs6993770, rs2375981, rs34528081, rs4782371, rs2639990, rs10761741, rs114694170, rs1740073), previously identified as genetic determinants of VEGF-A levels in GWAS studies. The prediction model included direct and epistatic interaction effects, age and sex and was developed using the elastic net machine learning methodology. An optimal model including the direct effect of the APOE e4 allele, age and eight epistatic interactions between APOE and LSR, APOE and VEGF-A-related variants was developed with an accuracy of 72%. Two epistatic interactions (rs7043199*rs6993770 and rs2375981*rs34528081) were the strongest protective factors against AD together with the absence of ε4 APOE allele. Based on pathway analysis, the involved variants and related genes are implicated in neurological diseases. In conclusion, this study demonstrated links between APOE, LSR and VEGF-A-related variants and the development of AD and proposed a model of nine genetic variants which appears to strongly influence the risk for AD.

Analysis of reactive aldehydes in urine and plasma of type-2 diabetes mellitus patients through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: Reactive aldehydes as potential markers of diabetic nephropathy.

Introduction: Diabetes is a major public health issue that is approaching epidemic proportions globally. Diabetes mortality is increasing in all ethnic groups, irrespective of socio-economic class. Obesity is often seen as the main contributor to an increasing prevalence of diabetes. Oxidative stress has been shown to trigger obesity by stimulating the deposition of white adipose tissue. In this study, we measured reactive aldehydes by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), in the urine and plasma of type-2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients, as potential surrogates of oxidative stress. Our hypothesis was that reactive aldehydes play a significant role in the pathophysiology of diabetes, and these reactive species, may present potential drug targets for patient treatment. Materials and methods: Study participants [N = 86; control n = 26; T2DM n = 32, and diabetic nephropathy (DN) n = 28] were recruited between 2019 and 2020. Urine and blood samples were collected from all participants, including a detailed clinical history, to include patient behaviours, medications, and co-morbidities. Reactive aldehyde concentrations in urine and plasma were measured using pre-column derivatisation and LC-MS, for control, T2DM and DN patients. Results: Reactive aldehydes were measured in the urine and plasma of control subjects and patients with T2DM and DN. In all cases, the reactive aldehydes under investigation; 4-HNE, 4-ONE, 4-HHE, pentanal, methylglyoxal, and glyoxal, were significantly elevated in the urine and serum of the patients with T2DM and DN, compared to controls (p < 0.001) (Kruskal-Wallis). Urine and serum reactive aldehydes were significantly correlated (≥0.7) (p < 0.001) (Spearman rho). The concentrations of the reactive aldehydes were significantly higher in plasma samples, when compared to urine, suggesting that plasma is the optimal matrix for screening T2DM and DN patients for oxidative stress. Conclusion: Reactive aldehydes are elevated in the urine and plasma of T2DM and DN patients. Reactive aldehydes have been implicated in the pathobiology of T2DM. Therefore, if reactive aldehydes are surrogates of oxidative stress, these reactive aldehyde species could be therapeutic targets for potential drug development.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-A pilot study investigating early inflammatory and fibrotic biomarkers of NAFLD with alcoholic liver disease.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver (hepatic steatosis) and there is no history of alcohol abuse or other secondary causes of chronic liver disease. NAFLD is a very common disorder, occurring in 25% of the global population. NAFLD is now the most common chronic liver disorder in Western countries. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for NAFLD diagnosis and staging; however, this is invasive, costly and not without risk. Biomarkers that could diagnose and stage disease would reduce the need for biopsy and allow stratification of patients at risk of progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods: One hundred and thirty-five patients were involved in the study [N = 135: n = 34 controls; n = 26 simple steatosis; n = 61 NAFLD/NASH, and n = 14 alcoholic liver disease (ALD)]. Clinically diagnosed (ICD-10) patient serum samples were obtained from Discovery Life Sciences (US) along with clinical history. Samples were run in duplicate using high-sensitivity cytokine array I, immunoassays and ELISAs. In total, n = 20 individual biomarkers were investigated in this pilot study. Results: Thirteen/20 (65%) biomarkers were identified as significantly different between groups; IFNγ, EGF, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα, FABP-1, PIIINP, ST2/IL-33R, albumin, AST and ALT. Five/20 (25%) biomarker candidates were identified for further investigation; namely, three biomarkers of inflammation, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα, and two biomarkers of fibrosis, PIIINP and ST2/IL-33R. Discussion: Single biomarkers are unlikely to be diagnostic or predictive at staging NAFLD due to the complex heterogeneity of the disease. However, biomarker combinations may help stratify risk and stage disease where patients are averse to biopsy. Further studies comparing the 5 biomarkers identified in this study with current diagnostic tests and fibrotic deposition in liver tissue are warranted.

Blood and urinary cytokine balance and renal outcomes at cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Increased perioperative pro-inflammatory biomarkers, renal hypoperfusion and ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) heighten cardiac surgery acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) risk. Increased urinary anti-inflammatory cytokines attenuate risk. We evaluated whether blood and urinary anti-inflammatory biomarkers, when expressed as ratios with biomarkers of inflammation, hypoperfusion and IRI are increased in CS-AKI patients. METHODS: Preoperative and 24-h postoperative blood and urinary pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, blood VEGF and H-FABP (hypoperfusion biomarkers), and MK, a biomarker for IRI, were measured in 401 cardiac surgery patients. Pre- and postoperative concentrations of biomarkers and selected ratios thereof, were compared between non-CS-AKI and CS-AKI patients. RESULTS: Compared with non-CS-AKI, blood pro-inflammatory (pre- and post-op TNFα, IP-10, IL-12p40, MIP-1α, NGAL; pre-op IL-6; post-op IL-8, MK) and anti-inflammatory (pre- and post-op sTNFsr1, sTNFsr2, IL-1RA) biomarkers together with urinary pro-inflammatory (pre- and post-op uIL-12p40; post-op uIP-10, uNGAL) and anti-inflammatory (pre- and post-op usTNFsr1, usTNFsr2, uIL-1RA) biomarkers, were significantly higher in CS-AKI patients. Urinary anti-inflammatory biomarkers, when expressed as ratios with biomarkers of inflammation (blood and urine), hypoperfusion (blood H-FABP and VEGF) and IRI (blood MK) were decreased in CS-AKI. In contrast, blood anti-inflammatory biomarkers expressed as similar ratios with blood biomarkers were increased in CS-AKI. CONCLUSIONS: The urinary anti-inflammatory response may protect against the injurious effects of perioperative inflammation, hypoperfusion and IRI. These finding may have clinical utility in bioprediction and earlier diagnosis of CS-AKI and informing future therapeutic strategies for CS-AKI patients.

Multiplex Serum Biomarker Assays Improve Prediction of Renal and Mortality Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the predictive value of 11 serum biomarkers for renal and mortality end points in people with CKD. METHODS: Adults with CKD (n=139) were enrolled from outpatient clinics between February 2014 and November 2016. Biomarker quantification was performed using two multiplex arrays on a clinical-grade analyzer. Relationships between biomarkers and renal and mortality end points were investigated by random forests and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The cohort was 56% male. The mean age was 63 years and median (IQR) CKD-EPI eGFR was 33 (24-51) ml/min per BSA. A total of 56 (40%) people developed a composite end point defined as ≥40% decline in eGFR, doubling of serum creatinine, RRT, or death over median (IQR) follow-up of 5.4 (4.7-5.7) years. Prediction of the composite end point was better with random forests trained on serum biomarkers compared with clinical variables (area under the curve of 0.81 versus 0.78). The predictive performance of biomarkers was further enhanced when considered alongside clinical variables (area under the curve of 0.83 versus 0.81 for biomarkers alone). Patients (n=27, 19%) with high soluble TNF receptor-1 (≥3 ng/ml) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (≥156 ng/ml), coupled with low complement 3a des-arginine (<2368 ng/ml), almost universally (96%) developed the composite renal and mortality end point. C-reactive protein (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.8), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 6.1) and complement 3a desarginine (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4 to 0.96) independently predicted time to the composite end point. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatients with the triad of high soluble TNF receptor-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin coupled with low complement 3a des-arginine had high adverse event rates over 5-year follow-up. Incorporation of serum biomarkers alongside clinical variables improved prediction of CKD progression and mortality. Our findings require confirmation in larger, more diverse patient cohorts.

A genetic determinant of VEGF-A levels is associated with telomere attrition.

Telomere length (TL) is a hallmark of cellular aging and is associated with chronic diseases development. The vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), a potent angiogenesis factor, is implicated in the pathophysiology of many chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between VEGF-A and TL. TL in leukocytes (LTL) and skeletal muscle (MTL) were measured, 10 VEGF-related polymorphisms genotyped, and VEGF-A plasma concentrations determined in 402 individuals from the TELARTA cohort. LTL/MTL ratio was calculated as an estimate of lifelong TL attrition. Associations between VEGF-A variants and levels, and TL parameters were investigated. We identified one significant association between the minor allele (T) of rs6993770 variant and LTL/MTL ratio (P=0.001143, ß=0.0148, SE=0.004516). The rs6993770 is an intronic variant of the ZFPM2 gene, which is involved in haematopoiesis and the identified association with increased telomere attrition could be due to increased haematopoiesis. No significant epistatic interaction was identified, and no association was found between levels of VEGF-A and any of assessed phenotypes. We identified a potential common genetic regulation between VEGF-A and telomere length attrition that could be explained by mechanisms of increased hematopoiesis and production of platelets. VEGF-A and TL could play an important role in personalized medicine of chronic diseases and identification of molecular links between them can promote the understanding of their complex implications.

Epigenome-wide association study detects a novel loci associated with central obesity in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Central obesity is a condition that poses a significant risk to global health and requires the employment of novel scientific methods for exploration. The objective of this study is to use DNA methylation analysis to detect DNA methylation loci linked to obesity phenotypes, i.e. waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two-hundred and ten healthy European participants from the STANISLAS Family Study (SFS), comprising 73 nuclear families, were comprehensively assessed for methylation status using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. An epigenome-wide association study was performed, which identified a CpG site cg16170243 located on chromosome 18q21.2 significantly associated with waist circumference, after adjusting for BMI (ß = 2.32, SE = 0.41, Padj = 0.048). Cg16170243 corresponds to a 50 bp-length human methylation oligoprobe located within the AC090241.2 gene that overlaps ST8SIA5 gene. No significant association was observed with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (Padj > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A novel association between DNA methylation and WC was identified, which is demonstrating that epigenetic mechanisms may have a significant impact on waist circumference ratio in healthy individuals. Further studies are warranted to address the causal effects of this association.

Nutrigenetic Interactions Might Modulate the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Status in Mastiha-Supplemented Patients With NAFLD.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease with no therapeutic consensus. Oxidation and inflammation are hallmarks in the progression of this complex disease, which also involves interactions between the genetic background and the environment. Mastiha is a natural nutritional supplement known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated how a 6-month Mastiha supplementation (2.1 g/day) could impact the antioxidant and inflammatory status of patients with NAFLD, and whether genetic variants significantly mediate these effects. We recruited 98 patients with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and NAFLD and randomly allocated them to either the Mastiha or the placebo group for 6 months. The anti-oxidative and inflammatory status was assessed at baseline and post-treatment. Genome-wide genetic data was also obtained from all participants, to investigate gene-by-Mastiha interactions. NAFLD patients with severe obesity (BMI > 35kg/m2) taking the Mastiha had significantly higher total antioxidant status (TAS) compared to the corresponding placebo group (P value=0.008). We did not observe any other significant change in the investigated biomarkers as a result of Mastiha supplementation alone. We identified several novel gene-by-Mastiha interaction associations with levels of cytokines and antioxidant biomarkers. Some of the identified genetic loci are implicated in the pathological pathways of NAFLD, including the lanosterol synthase gene (LSS) associated with glutathione peroxidase activity (Gpx) levels, the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier-1 gene (MPC1) and the sphingolipid transporter-1 gene (SPNS1) associated with hemoglobin levels, the transforming growth factor-beta-induced gene (TGFBI) and the micro-RNA 129-1 (MIR129-1) associated with IL-6 and the granzyme B gene (GZMB) associated with IL-10 levels. Within the MAST4HEALTH randomized clinical trial (NCT03135873, www.clinicaltrials.gov) Mastiha supplementation improved the TAS levels among NAFLD patients with severe obesity. We identified several novel genome-wide significant nutrigenetic interactions, influencing the antioxidant and inflammatory status in NAFLD. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03135873.

Effect of Mastiha supplementation on NAFLD: The MAST4HEALTH Randomised, Controlled Trial.

SCOPE: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease with poor therapeutic strategies. Mastiha possesses antioxidant/anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering properties. The authors investigate the effectiveness of Mastiha as a nonpharmacological intervention in NAFLD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients with NAFLD in three countries (Greece, Italy, Serbia) are randomly allocated to either Mastiha or Placebo for 6 months, as part of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial. The authors assess NAFLD severity via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and LiverMultiScan technique and evaluate the effectiveness of Mastiha through medical, anthropometric, biochemical, metabolomic, and microbiota assessment. Mastiha is not superior to Placebo on changes in iron-corrected T1 (cT1) and Liver Inflammation Fibrosis score (LIF) in entire patient population; however, after BMI stratification (BMI ≤ 35 kg m-2 and BMI > 35 kg m-2 ), severely obese patients show an improvement in cT1 and LIF in Mastiha versus Placebo. Mastiha increases dissimilarity of gut microbiota, as shown by the Bray-Curtis index, downregulates Flavonifractor, a known inflammatory taxon and decreases Lysophosphatidylcholines-(LysoPC) 18:1, Lysophosphatidylethanolamines-(LysoPE) 18:1, and cholic acid compared to Placebo. CONCLUSION: Mastiha supplementation improves microbiota dysbiosis and lipid metabolite levels in patients with NAFLD, although it reduces parameters of liver inflammation/fibrosis only in severely obese patients.

Anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha response associated with combined CD226 and HLA-DRB1[*]0404 haplotype in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Predicting response to anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) drugs at baseline remains an elusive goal in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. The purpose of this study was to determine if baseline genetic variants of PTPRC, AFF3, myD228, CHUK, MTHFR1, MTHFR2, CD226 and a number of KIR and HLA alleles could predict response to anti-TNF-α in rheumatoid arthritis patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 238 RA patients treated with anti-TNFα drugs. Genotyping was performed using biochip array technology by Randox Laboratories Ltd. and sequence specific polymerase chain reaction. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the role of these genotypes in predicting response to treatment, as defined by European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response classification and absolute change in disease activity score (DAS28). RESULTS: Of 238 RA patients analysed, 50.4% received adalimumab, 29.7% received etanercept, 14.8% received infliximab, 3.4% certoluzimab and 1.7% golimumab. The MTHFR1 variant rs1801133 was significantly associated with the EULAR response, p=0.044. Patients with the HLA-DRB1*0404 allele displayed a significantly larger reduction in DAS28 compared to non-carriers (mean -2.22, -1.67 respectively, p=0.033). CD226 rs763361 was the only SNP variant significantly associated with ΔDAS28 (p=0.029). CONCLUSIONS: This study has investigated individual allele associations with reductions in DAS28 across a range of anti-TNFα treatments. A combined predictive model indicates that patients with the HLA-DRB1*0404 allele and without the CD226 rs763361 polymorphism exhibit the largest reduction in DAS28 after anti-TNF-α treatment.