High-dose cholecalciferol supplementation to obese infertile men is sufficient to reach adequate vitamin D status.

Obesity is associated with low vitamin D status, and the optimal supplement and dosage of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) or calcidiol (25OHD) for individuals with obesity have been debated. We aimed to determine the effect of high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation on achieving adequate vitamin D levels among infertile men with normal weight v. obesity. Here, we present secondary end points from a single-centre, double-blinded, randomised clinical trial, comprising 307 infertile men randomised to active or placebo treatment for 150 days. Men in the active group initially received an oral bolus of 300 000 mg of vitamin D3, followed by daily supplementation with 1400 mg of vitamin D3 and 500 mg of calcium. Baseline BMI was listed as a predefined subgroup. At baseline, serum 25OHD was significantly higher in men with normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2) compared with men with overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) (48 nmol/l v. 45 nmol/l and 39 nmol/l, respectively; P = 0·024). After the intervention, men with normal weight, overweight and obesity treated with vitamin D3 had a significantly higher serum 25OHD compared with corresponding placebo-treated men (BMI < 25 kg/m2: 92 nmol/l v. 53 nmol/l, BMI = 25-30 kg/m2: 87 nmol/l v. 49 nmol/l and BMI > 30 kg/m2: 85 nmol/l v. 48 nmol/l; P < 0·001 for all, respectively). In conclusion, we show that high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation to infertile men with obesity and low vitamin D status is sufficient to achieve adequate serum 25OHD levels.

The Association between Four Common Polymorphisms in microRNA and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Background: Many epidemiological studies have explored the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the results remain controversial. We performed a large-scale meta-analysis to draw a more precise estimation of the aforementioned association. Methods: Studies on the association between microRNA (MIR) polymorphisms and HCC risk that had been published up to Sep 30, 2021 were identified by searching the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Chinese Biomedical Literature electronic databases and the Excerpta Medical Database. The association between MIR polymorphisms and HCC risk was assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Overall, 29 studies, with a total of 9,263 cases and 10,875 controls, were included in our meta-analysis. MicroRNA149 (MIR149) significantly decreased the risk of developing HCC on the overall population (homozygous model CC vs. TT: OR = 0.703, 95% CI = 0.549-0.899, P = 0.005), and microRNA 196 (MIR196) significantly decreased the risk of developing HCC on the overall population (recessive model TT vs. CT+CC: OR = 0.864, 95% CI = 0.751-0.993, P = 0.04) and on Caucasians (OR = 0.613, 95% CI = 0.414-0.907, P = 0.014). Conclusion: The MIR149 and MIR196 polymorphisms are the protect factors of developing HCC. The conduct of multi-center and multi-region studies with gene-gene, gene-environment should be considered.

Microbiome-metabolomics analysis insight into the effects of dietary resistant starch on intestinal integrity.

Resistant starch (RS) has caught much attention for its potential to exert a beneficial impact on intestine and certain members of its resident microbiota. In this study, we examined how dietary RS promotes intestinal barrier in meat ducks by microbiome-metabolomics analysis. Ducklings were fed corn-soybean basal diet or RS diet. Dietary RS improved intestinal morphology and enhanced barrier function in ileum, evidenced by lower permeability and upregulated tight junction proteins and Mucin-2 gene expression. Microbiome analysis showed that RS administration elevated the proportion of Firmicutes and butyrate-producing bacteria, and increased butyrate contents in cecum. Furthermore, significant alterations in metabolic profiles were observed, with most of these were associated with the amino acid metabolism (especially tryptophan), lipid metabolism, and intestinal inflammation. Together, diet with RS improved gut integrity and caused corresponding alterations in gut metabolome and microbiome, yielding better insights of the mechanism by RS improved the gut system of ducks.

Long Intergenic Non-Coding 00162 as Diagnostic Biomarker for Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death due to insufficient diagnostic methods in early stage of PC. Growing evidence has shown that long intergenic non-coding RNAs (LINCRNAs) is a biomarker of the early-stage of PC. However, the expression level and diagnostic value of LINC00162 remains unclear. METHODS: LINC00162 expression was detected in peripheral blood samples from 155 subjects (52 healthy controls, 52 benign pancreatic disease (BPD) persons and 51 PC patients) by quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of LINC00162, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 199 (CA199). RESULTS: Our data indicated that the LINC00162 expression was upregulated in PC patients compared with healthy controls and BPD (all P<0.001). Furthermore, PC patients with advanced pathological grades, positive lymph node metastasis and positive distant metastasis showed higher LINC00162 levels (all P<0.001). In addition, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) found that the LINC00162 had higher diagnostic ability than CEA and CA199 in distinguishing the early-stage PC patients (AUC: LINC00162 versus(vs) CEA vs CA199=0.932 vs 0.669 vs 0.725). CONCLUSION: In summary, the LINC00162 may be a noninvasive and efficient marker for identifying patients with the early-stage PC. Further validation studies with a large number of patients and long-term follow-up patients are needed to confirm the potential diagnostic value and clinical utility of LINC00162 in patients with PC.

Performance evaluation between two automated biochemical analyzer systems: Roche Cobas 8000 and Mindray BS2000M.

Background: The values of biomarkers play a central role in routine clinical decision-making. Whereas the performance of different automated chemical analyzers remains unclear. To determine the performance of different platforms, we compared the consistency and accuracy between Roche Cobas 8000 and Mindray BS2000M. Methods: A total of 1869 remaining serum samples were collected. CK, LDH-1, RBP, Cys-C, IgA, IgM, and IgG were assessed using paired t-test, Passing-Bablok regression analysis, and Bland-Altman analysis according to CLSI EP5-A3. Results: There were significant differences in the average bias of all items between the two machines (P<0.001). Because the 95% confidence interval of intercept A included 0, CK, LDH-1, Cys-C and IgG did not show systematic error in Passing-Bablok regression analysis. The confidence interval of 95% of the slope B in IgM contained 1, and there was no difference in the two measurements in IgM. Except for IgA, the r values and correlation coefficient of all items were higher than 0.91, which showed that the correlation and consistency were good. The Bland-Altman analysis showed that two instruments had more than 95% of the points apart from CK, LDH-1, and IgA. Conclusions: It can be considered that the two instruments have good correlation and consistency in CK, LDH-1, RBP, Cys-C, IgM, and IgG, and the two instruments are interchangeable and can replace each other.

Dietary resistant starch alleviates Escherichia coli-induced bone loss in meat ducks by promoting short-chain fatty acid production and inhibiting Malt1/NF-κB inflammasome activation.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection in humans and animals usually comes with gut dysbiosis, which is potential culprit to skeletal health, it is still unclear to whether diet interfered gut microbiome changes can be a protective strategy to bone loss development. Here, the effects of resistant starch from raw potato starch (RPS), a type of prebiotic, on E. coli-induced bone loss and gut microbial composition in meat ducks were evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that dietary 12% RPS treatment improved bone quality, depressed bone resorption, and attenuated the pro-inflammatory reaction in both ileum and bone marrow. Meanwhile, the 12% RPS diet also increased the abundance of Firmicutes in E. coli-treated birds, along with higher production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) especially propionate and butyrate. Whereas addition of ß-acid, an inhibitor of bacterial SCFAs production, to the drinking water of ducks fed 12% RPS diet significantly decreased SCFAs level in cecum content and eliminated RPS-induced tibial mass improvement. Further, treatment with MI-2 to abrogate mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (Malt1) activity replicated the protective role of dietary 12% RPS in E. coli-induced bone loss including reduced the inhibition on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) inflammasome activation, decreased bone resorption, and improved bone quality, which were correlated with comparable and higher regulatory T cells (Treg) frequency in MI-2 and 12% RPS group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the diet with 12% RPS could alleviate E. coli-induced bone loss in meat ducks by changing the gut microbial composition and promoting concomitant SCFAs production, and consequently inhibiting Malt1/NF-κB inflammasome activation and Treg cells expansion.

Dietary resistant starch ameliorating lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in meat ducks associated with the alteration in gut microbiome and glucagon-like peptide 1 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of resistant starch (RS) has been associated with various intestinal and systemic health benefits, but knowledge of its effects on intestinal health and inflammatory response in stressed birds is limited. Here, we examined how dietary RS supplementation from 12% raw potato starch (RPS) modulated inflammatory severity induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in meat ducks. RESULTS: LPS administration at 14, 16, and 18 d (chronic challenge) decreased body weight (BW) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) level with higher intestinal permeability and inflammation, evident by higher pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Dietary 12% RPS supplementation enhanced Claudin-1 and GLP-1R expression, along with lower levels of inflammatory factors in both ileum and serum. Microbiome analysis showed that RS treatment shifted microbial structure reflected by enriched the proportion of Firmicutes, Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus, etc. Dietary RS addition also significantly increased the concentrations of propionate and butyrate during chronic LPS challenge. Furthermore, response to acute challenge, the ducks received 2 mg/kg BW LPS at 14 d had higher concentrations of serum endotoxins and inflammatory cytokines, as well as upregulated transcription of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) in ileum when compared to control birds. Analogous to GLP-1 agonist liraglutide, dietary RS addition decreased endotoxins and inflammation cytokines, whereas it upregulated the GLP-1 synthesis related genes expression. Meanwhile, dietary RS supplementation suppressed the acute LPS challenge-induced TLR4 transcription. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that dietary 12% RPS supplementation could attenuate the LPS-induced inflammation as well as intestinal injury of meat ducks, which might involve in the alteration in gut microbiota, SCFAs production and the signaling pathways of TLR4 and GLP-1/GLP-1R.

Dietary Resistant Starch From Potato Regulates Bone Mass by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Concomitant Short-Chain Fatty Acids Production in Meat Ducks.

Gut microbiota interfered with using prebiotics may improve bone mass and alleviate the onset of bone problems. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of resistant starch from raw potato starch (RPS) on bone health in meat ducks. Response to the dietary graded level of RPS supplementation, both tibia strength and ash were taken out linear and quadratic increase and positively correlated with increased propionate and butyrate levels in cecal content. Moreover, further outcomes of gut microbiota and micro-CT analysis showed the beneficial effect of RPS on bone mass might be associated with higher Firmicutes proportion and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum. Consistent with improving bone mass, SCFAs promoted phosphorus absorption, decreased the digestive tract pH, and enhanced intestinal integrity, which decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory genes in both gut and bone marrow, and consequently depressed osteoclastic bone resorption mediated by inflammatory cytokines. These findings highlight the importance of the "gut-bone" axis and provide new insight into the effect of prebiotics on bone health.

Diagnostic value of combined prealbumin-to-fibrinogen and albumin-to-fibrinogen ratios in Hp-negative gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of prealbumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (PFR) and albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) alone or in combination in Helicobacter pylori-negative gastric cancer (Hp-NGC) patients. METHODS: This study included 171 healthy controls, 180 Hp-NGC patients, and 215 Helicobacter pylori-negative chronic gastritis (HpN) patients. We compared the differences of various indicators and pathological characteristics between groups with Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test. The diagnostic value of PFR and AFR alone or in combination for Hp-NGC patients was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: PFR and AFR were related to the progression and clinicopathological characteristics of Hp-NGC. As the disease progressed, PFR and AFR values gradually decreased and were negatively related to the tumor size and depth of invasion. In addition, the area under the curves (AUCs) that resulted from combining PFR and AFR to distinguish Hp-NGC patients from healthy controls and HpN patients were 0.908 and 0.654, respectively. When combined with PFR and AFR in the differential diagnosis of tumors with a maximum diameter ≥ 5 cm and the T3 + T4 stage, the AUCs were 0.949 and 0.922; the sensitivity was 86.32% and 80.74%; and the specificity was 94.74% and 92.98%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PFR and AFR may be used as diagnostic biomarkers for Hp-NGC. The combination of PFR and AFR was more valuable than each indicator alone in the diagnosis of Hp-NGC.

D-Dimer Combined With CRP Can Improve the Differential Value of Bacterial Meningitis and Tuberculous Meningitis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of the coagulation marker D-dimer and its combination with the traditional marker C-reactive protein (CRP) in distinguishing bacterial meningitis (BM) from tuberculous meningitis (TM). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on specimens from 173 patients with meningitis who were hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China, from 2012 through 2020. The patient records were divided into the BM group and the TM group, and hematological parameters D-dimer and CRP were evaluated for the 2 groups. RESULTS: The levels of D-dimer and CRP in the BM group were significantly higher than those levels in the TM group (P ˂.001 for each), and the sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of the 2 markers was 86.3% to 100%; the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve reached 0.983 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.966-0.999). CONCLUSION: D-dimer testing has high specificity in distinguishing between BM and TM; CRP testing also has high sensitivity. The combined diagnosis of the 2 biomarkers helps to distinguish TM from BM.

Diagnostic Values of the Prealbumin-to-Fibrinogen, Albumin-to-Fibrinogen, and Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratios in Gastric Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of the prealbumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (PFR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) as single or combined indicators of gastric cancer. METHODS: The study included 162 healthy controls and 155 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. The differences in the experimental indicators and pathological characteristics between the groups were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis H test and Mann-Whitney U test. We evaluated the independent risk factors for gastric cancer through logistic regression and assessed the diagnostic values of PFR, AFR, and MLR for gastric cancer using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: PFR, AFR, and MLR were different between the healthy control and gastric cancer groups. PFR and AFR were related to the pathological characteristics of gastric cancer, such as tumor size, TNM stage, and clinical stage (P<0.05). PFR, MLR, and AFR were not related to age, tumor site, or degree of differentiation (P>0.05). Regression analysis suggested that PFR, MLR, and AFR might be independent factors predictive of gastric cancer. When combining PFR, MLR, and AFR, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.951, and the sensitivity and specificity were 87.10% and 95.06%, respectively. This combination had the highest diagnostic value for gastric cancer patients. CONCLUSION: The combination of PFR, MLR, and AFR is more valuable than each indicator alone in the diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Correlation between Pretreatment Hematologic Parameters and Cervical Cancer Patients Undergoing Hysterectomy: a Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation of mean platelet volume (MPV), MPV/ platelet count, and monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR) between cervical cancer patients and healthy people and to evaluate the value of those parameters in early diagnosis of cervical cancer. METHODS: The study population included 137 cervical cancer patients undergoing hysterectomy and 113 healthy controls. The clinical features (age, pathology type, tumor staging, and tumor size) were collected from the hospital information system. The hematology parameters (white blood cell, red blood cell, hemoglobin, platelet count, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width) are obtained in the laboratory information system. RESULTS: We found that the monocyte count and MLR value are higher in the cervical cancer group. The MPV and MPV/platelet are lower in the cervical cancer group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis shows that MPV+MLR can generate a moderate specificity with 71.68%, sensitivity with 65.69%, and AUC with 0.718 to distinguish cervical cancer and healthy people. CONCLUSIONS: MPV/platelet and MLR may be helpful for the early diagnosis of cervical cancer. A larger clinical data analysis is necessary to evaluate the diagnostic value of hematologic parameters in cervical cancer.

Association of LEPR gene polymorphisms with the risk of hepatitis B virus-related liver disease in Guangxi Chinese: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Leptin receptor (LEPR) signaling inhibits apoptosis, promotes angiogenesis and proliferation, and plays a critical role in carcinogenesis. Variants of the LEPR gene may be key factors in the growth of human malignant tumors. However, the relationship between LEPR polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we further investigated the association between LEPR polymorphisms and the risk of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC), and HCC in a southern Guangxi Chinese population. METHOD: Two LEPR polymorphisms (rs1137100 and rs1137101) were genotyped in 138 CHB patients, 136 patients with LC, 149 HCC patients, and 146 healthy controls using the SNaPshot method. RESULTS: We did not observe any significant difference in the LEPR rs1137100 and rs1137101 polymorphisms between the groups of healthy controls and patients (all p > 0.05), regardless of genotypes, alleles, or haplotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the genetic variants of the LEPR gene are not associated with the risk of HBV-related liver diseases (CHB, LC, and HCC) in the Guangxi population. Further studies are necessary to validate these results.

Diagnostic Value of Albumin to Fibrinogen Ratio in Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Albumin to fibrinogen ratio (AFR) play a crucial role in the progression and prognosis of many malignant tumors. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the diagnostic value of AFR as single markers or in combination with squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag), cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) in cervical cancer. METHODS: A total of 323 cervical cancer inpatients, 143 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 317 healthy controls were analyzed. Differences in laboratory parameters and clinicopathological features were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis H test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predicted value of AFR, alone or combined with SCC-Ag, CA-125 for the diagnosis of cervical cancer. RESULTS: The levels of AFR in patients with cervical cancer were significantly lower than those in the CIN patients and the control subjects. AFR were not only negatively correlated with the tumor stage, but also related to histology typing, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, depth of stromal infiltration, tumor size, and tumor stage; however, it was not associated with the blood group. AFR combined with SCC-Ag possessed a larger area under the curve (AUC; AUCAFR+SCC-Ag = 0.924, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.900, 0.944) than AFR (P < 0.001), SCC-Ag (P < 0.001), or CA-125 (P < 0.001) did alone. CONCLUSIONS: The pretreatment levels of AFR, alone or combined with SCC-Ag, CA-125 could improve the diagnostic efficiency of cervical cancer.

Dietary administration of resistant starch improved caecal barrier function by enhancing intestinal morphology and modulating microbiota composition in meat duck.

Resistant starch (RS) was recently approved to exert a powerful influence on gut health, but the effect of RS on the caecal barrier function in meat ducks has not been well defined. Thus, the effect of raw potato starch (RPS), a widely adopted RS material, on microbial composition and barrier function of caecum for meat ducks was determined. A total of 360 Cherry Valley male ducks of 1-d-old were randomly divided and fed diets with 0 (control), 12, or 24 % RPS for 35 d. Diets supplemented with RPS significantly elevated villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratio in the caecum. The 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that the diet with 12 % RPS had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and the butyrate-producing bacteria Faecalibacterium, Subdoligranulum, and Erysipelatoclostridium were enriched in all diets. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were significantly increased in the 24 % RPS diet v. the control diet. When compared with the control diet, the diet with 12 % RPS was also found to notably increase acetate, propionate and butyrate contents and up-regulated barrier-related genes including claudin-1, zonula occludens-1, mucin-2 and proglucagon in the caecum. Furthermore, the addition of 12 % RPS significantly reduced plasma TNF-α, IL-1ß and endotoxin concentrations. These data revealed that diets supplemented with 12 % RPS partially improved caecal barrier function in meat ducks by enhancing intestinal morphology and barrier markers expression, modulating the microbiota composition and attenuating inflammatory markers.

Diagnostic value of hematological parameters platelet to lymphocyte ratio and hemoglobin to platelet ratio in patients with colon cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to retrospectively analyze the value of the hematological parameter platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and hemoglobin to platelet ratio (HPR) in patients with colon cancer. METHODS: The hematological parameters and clinical data of 354 cases patients with colon cancer, 108 cases patients with benign colon tumors and 123 healthy controls were collected from our hospital electronic medical records. RESULTS: Compared with the colon benign tumor group and the healthy control group, the colon cancer group had an increased PLR value and a decreased HPR value. The correlation between the clinicopathological features and the laboratory parameters of colon cancer patients was analyzed, and the results showed that both PLR and HPR were associated with tumor invasion and tumor size. Compared with PLR (AUC = 0.725, 95%CI: 0.682-0.765), HPR (AUC = 0.752, 95%CI: 0.710-0.790) or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (AUC = 0.710, 95%CI: 0.666-0.751) used alone, the combination with PLR and CEA (AUC = 0.790, 95%CI: 0.750-0.826) or with HPR and CEA (AUC = 0.814, 95%CI: 0.775-0.848) can improve specificity and produce greater AUC in differentiating colon cancer from benign colon cancer. CONCLUSION: Combined application of PLR, HPR, and CEA may improve the diagnostic efficacy of distinguishing between colon cancer and benign colon tumors.