Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load predict longitudinal change in glycemic and cardio-metabolic biomarkers among old diabetic adults living in a resource-poor country.

This study aims to investigate longitudinal associations between the dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) and changes in glycemic and cardio-metabolic outcomes. A 28-month retrospective cohort study included 110 Vietnamese diabetic patients, collecting their dietary GI and GL values along with blood biochemical data from baseline 24-h dietary recall and medical records. Latent class growth modelling identified three distinct HbA1c trajectories during the follow-up period, with 51% of patients achieving good glycemic control. The adjusted linear mixed-effect model showed that 1 unit increase in logarithms in dietary GL was associated with a 0.14% increase in the log-HbA1c. Among poorly controlled diabetic patients, baseline GL values were positively correlated with increases in HbA1c; GI showed effects on changes in fasting plasma glucose and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index. No significant association was observed in patients with good glycemic control.

Prognostic Value of the 18F-FDG PET/CT and Haematological Parameters in Head and Neck Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Fluorine 18-fluoro-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is commonly used for the staging of head and neck cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between 18F-FDG PET/CT, haematological parameters and prognosis in patients with advanced head and neck cancer. METHODS: This was a single-institutional retrospective study of 83 patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging before initial treatment between 2014 and 2018. 18F-FDG PET/CT after treatment was performed in 57 patients. The prognostic parameters of the pre- and post-treatment maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumour volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of primary tumours and haematological parameters were analysed to evaluate the association between overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Pre-MTV, pre-TLG and post-SUVmax were significantly associated with poor OS and PFS (p < 0.05). Haematological parameters, including pretreatment neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, were associated with 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters. In multivariate analysis, post-SUVmax was an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS. CONCLUSION: A correlation between PET/CT metabolic and haematological parameters was observed. The volume and intensity of 18F-FDG uptake region, in addition to haematological parameters, are feasible markers for predicting the progression of HNSCC in daily practice. Further, post-SUVmax could be an independent parameter for predicting poor survival.

Investigating the relationship between shift work schedule and blood and metabolic parameters: a 10-years retrospective cohort study.

Shift work has become increasingly common in modern society. Shift work has been associated with a range of negative health outcomes. Therefore, this 10-years retrospective cohort study, aimed to investigate the relationship between shift work and blood and metabolic parameters. This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a metal parts manufacturing industry in 2023. In this study, 204 shift workers and 204 day workers were examined. All the studied blood and metabolic parameters were collected by reviewing the medical records of all participants during a 10-years period (2013-2022). Moreover, the amounts of physical, chemical, and ergonomics harmful agents in the work environment were investigated. All the collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. The values of Body Mass Index (BMI), Red Blood Cell Count (RBC), Platelets Count (PLT), Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Level (TSH), Fasting Blood Sugar Level (FBS), Creatinine, Triglyceride (TG), Liver Enzymes level (SGOT and SGPT), and Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) were higher among the shift work employees, and a significant difference was observed between the values of these parameters between the two groups. The results of logistic regression showed that the highest effect of shift work was observed on the parameters of FBS, TG, SGPT, TSH, Physical activity, BMI, Sleep duration, PLT, and Sleep quality with beta coefficient values of 0.49, 0.33, 0.29, 0.29, 0.20, 0.18, 0.14, 0.13 and, 0.11, respectively (p-value < 0.01). The present study contributes to a growing body of evidence that blood and metabolic factors are likely to be influenced by shift work. These findings have important implications for policy makers, highlighting the need for interventions to mitigate the negative health effects of shift work on workers.

A comparative study of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT and pelvic MRI in newly diagnosed prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the difference in the diagnostic efficacy of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT and pelvic MRI in primary prostate cancer, as well as the correlation between the two methods and histopathological parameters and serum PSA levels. METHODS: A total of 41 patients with suspected prostate cancer who underwent 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging in our department from 2018 to 2023 were retrospectively collected. All patients underwent 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT and MRI scans. The sensitivity, PPV and diagnostic accuracy of MRI and 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in the diagnosis of prostate cancer were calculated after comparing the results of MRI and 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT with biopsy. The Spearman test was used to calculate the correlation between 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT, MRI parameters, histopathological indicators, and serum PSA levels. RESULTS: Compared with histopathological results, the sensitivity, PPV and diagnostic accuracy of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT in the diagnosis of prostate cancer were 95.1%, 100.0% and 95.1%, respectively. The sensitivity, PPV and diagnostic accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer were 82.9%, 100.0% and 82.9%, respectively. There was a mild to moderately positive correlation between Gleason (Gs) score, Ki-67 index, serum PSA level and 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT parameters (p < 0.05). There was a moderately negative correlation between the expression of AMACR (P504S) and 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT parameters (p < 0.05). The serum PSA level and the Gs score were moderately positively correlated with the MRI parameters (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between histopathological parameters and MRI parameters (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with MRI, 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT has higher sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy in the detection of malignant prostate tumors. In addition, the Ki-67 index and AMACR (P504S) expression were only correlated with 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT parameters. Gs score and serum PSA level were correlated with 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT and MRI parameters. 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examination can provide certain reference values for the clinical diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of malignant prostate tumors.

The adipokine profile in the plasma and anterior pituitary of pigs during the estrous cycle.

Adipokines play crucial roles in both reproductive and energy metabolic processes. This study aimed to compare the hormonal plasma profile of adiponectin, apelin, vaspin, chemerin, resistin, visfatin, and adipolin, and the expression of their receptors in the anterior pituitary (AP) between normal-weight Large White (LW) and fat Meishan (MS) pigs during different phases of the estrous cycle. We measured adipokine levels in the plasma and assessed their gene expression in the AP. We used Pearson's correlation analysis to examine potential links between adipokines levels, their receptors, and metabolic parameters (body weight; backfat thickness) and reproductive parameters (pituitary weight; age at puberty; levels of gonadotropins, steroid hormones; and gene expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor and gonadotropins in AP). The plasma levels of the evaluated adipokines fluctuated with phase and breed, except for visfatin and adipolin. Moreover, adipokine expression in AP varied significantly between breeds and estrous cycle phases, except for resistin receptor CAP1. Notably, we observed a positive correlation between plasma levels of adiponectin and its transcript in the AP only in MS pigs. Apelin gene expression correlated negatively with its receptor in MS, while we observed a breed-dependent correlation between chemerin gene expression and its receptor CMKLR1. We identified significant positive or negative correlations between adipokines or their receptor levels in plasma and AP as well as metabolic or reproductive parameters, depending on the breed. In conclusion, we have demonstrated breed-specific and estrous cycle-dependent regulation of adipokines in AP, underscoring their potential impact on metabolic and reproductive processes in swine.

18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters can semi-quantitatively evaluate the nature of the heart and pericardial masses: a retrospective study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate semi-quantitatively the diagnostic performance of PET/CT metabolic parameters in differentiating benign or malignant cardiac or pericardial masses. A total of forty-one patients with newly diagnosed cardiac/pericardial masses who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT were recruited. PET/CT metabolic parameters including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), tumor metabolic volume (MTV), the maximum tumor-to-mediastinal background ratio (TMR) and the maximum tumor-to-liver background ratio (TLR) is measured or calculated to evaluate the benign or malignant nature of cardiac/pericardial masses. Compared with benign cardiac/pericardial lesions, cardiac/pericardial malignancies had higher SUVmax, SUVmean, TLG, MTV, TMR, and TLR. All these PET/CT metabolic parameters showed high diagnostic performance in semi-quantitative evaluation of benign or malignant cardiac or pericardial masses, and SUVmean and MTV had the highest diagnostic accuracy. Therefore, PET/CT metabolic parameters can semi-quantitatively evaluate the benign or malignant cardiac/pericardial masses.

Clinical Benefit of Sacubitril/Valsartan for Hypertensive Patients in Daily Practice and Predictors of Its Antihypertensive Effect.

Background: The blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect of sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) is greater than that of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) but in in real-world clinical practice, Sac/Val is used in a variety of patterns other than switching from ARBs. In the present study we investigated the effects of Sac/Val on BP and biochemical parameters when switching from or adding it to various antihypertensive drugs and examined what factors could be predictors of the antihypertensive effect of Sac/Val. Methods and Results: In 108 hypertensive patients treated with antihypertensive agents (including 4 naïve cases), clinic BP and various biochemical parameters were assessed before and after switching to/adding Sac/Val (200 mg/day). Systolic and diastolic BPs significantly decreased after treatment with Sac/Val (P<0.0001, respectively). As for biochemical parameters, alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and uric acid significantly decreased after administration of Sac/Val, but renal function, B-type natriuretic peptide, and plasma renin activity (PRA) did not change before or after treatment with Sac/Val. Multiple regression analysis revealed that low PRA and high baseline systolic BP were independent determinants of systolic BP reduction after Sac/Val treatment. Conclusions: Sac/Val is beneficial for poorly controlled hypertension in daily clinical practice and low PRA may be a predictor of the antihypertensive effect of switching to/adding Sac/Val.

The Association between Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Serum Metabolic Parameters in Women with Gallstone Disease: A Case-Control Study.

Background: One of the most prevalent gastrointestinal tract ailments is gallstone disease (GD). Diet has been acknowledged as a modifiable GD risk factor. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a scale for evaluating the quality of diets; therefore, this study aimed to determine whether the HEI-2015 score was associated with serum metabolic parameters in women with GD. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on a sample of 75 women diagnosed with GD and 75 healthy women at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Clinic of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science in Tehran, Iran. Standard laboratory methods were employed to measure the biochemical parameters. The participants' habitual dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The HEI-2015 score was computed for all participants. The study employed multivariate logistic regression to identify the optimal predictor of GD. The Pearson Correlation was employed to determine the correlation between the HEI-2015 and serum metabolic parameters. Results: The study found a significant negative association between the risk of GD and serum HDL-c (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76-0.95, P=0.008). Moreover, a significant positive association was detected between HOMAIR (OR: 3.27; 95% CI: 1.16-9.19, P=0.025), and the risk of GD. The study did not find a statistically significant correlation between the HEI-2015 and serum parameters. Conclusion: While an association was discovered between certain serum metabolic parameters and the risk of GD, the results do not provide a significant association between serum metabolic parameters and HEI-2015 score.

Metabolic and Growth Outcome of Two-year Growth Hormone Treatment in Children Born Small for Gestational Age: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Children born Small for Gestational Age (SGA) without early catch-up growth may show impaired growth rate, adult height, and metabolic profile [1]. Growth Hormone (GH) is recommended for their treatment, and it has been shown to have positive effects on growth and metabolic profile and good tolerability [2]. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the auxological and metabolic effects and safety of GH treatment in SGA children. METHODS: 34 SGA children (15 F, 19 M; mean age: 8.72 ± 2.48 yrs) treated with GH (starting dosage: 32.24 ± 2.88 mcg/kg/die) were evaluated every six months for 24 months with growth and metabolic parameters. RESULTS: After two years, SGA children showed a significant improvement in height, weight, and growth rate, already evident after six months (p < 0.001), with a constant, significant improvement in height throughout the treatment (p ≤ 0.03 T0 vs. T12, T12 vs. T24). Conversely, although significantly higher than baseline at each visit (p < 0.001), the growth rate significantly decreased from 6 to 18 months (p ≤ 0.015 T6 vs. T12, T12 vs. T18). During the follow-up, an increase in glycemia (p ≤ 0.042 vs. T12, T18) and urycemia (p ≤ 0.01 vs. T12, T18, and T24) and a decrease in AST (p ≤ 0.021 vs. T12, T18, and T24) and LDL cholesterol (p = 0.03 vs. T24) were observed. Overall, treatment was found to be well tolerated, with poor compliance being the most frequent adverse event (11.8%) and no reported hyperglycemia. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, GH can be considered an effective, safe treatment in SGA children, improving height and growth rate, although proper metabolic follow-up is required.

Current perspectives in obesity management: unraveling the impact of different therapy approach in real life obesity care.

BACKGROUND: The challenge of addressing obesity persists in healthcare, necessitating nuanced approaches and personalized strategies. This study aims to evaluate the effects of diverse therapeutic interventions on anthropometric and biochemical parameters in individuals with overweight and obesity within a real-world clinical context. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 192 patients (141 females, 51 males) aged 18 to 75, with a BMI ranging from 25 to 30 (14.1%) and BMI ≥ 30 (85.9%), observed over a 12-month period at our Endocrinology Unit. Treatment cohorts comprised individuals following different regimens: Mediterranean Diet (MD), with an approximate daily intake of 1500 kcal for women and 1800 kcal for men (71% patients); Ketogenic Diet (KD), utilizing the VLCKD protocol characterized by a highly hypocaloric dietary regimen < 800 kcal/day (14% patients); metformin, administered using the oral formulation (5% patients); pharmacological intervention with GLP1-RA administered via subcutaneous injection with incremental dosage (10% patients). Supply constraints limited the efficacy of Liraglutide, whereas Semaglutide was excluded from comparisons due to its unavailability for obesity without diabetes. Blood tests were conducted to assess lipid profile, glycemic profile, and anthropometric parameters, including BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio. RESULTS: Significant BMI changes were observed from baseline to 6 months across MD, KD, and Liraglutide groups (p < 0.05). KD exhibited notable reductions in waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio within the initial quarter (p < 0.05), with a significant triglyceride decrease after 6 months (p < 0.05), indicating its efficacy over MD. Liraglutide demonstrated a substantial reduction in HbA1c levels in the first quarter (p < 0.05). During the first three months, the ANOVA test on fasting blood glucose showed a statistically significant impact of the time variable (p < 0.05) rather than the specific treatments themselves (Liraglutide and KD), suggesting that adherence during the early stages of therapy may be more critical than treatment choice. CONCLUSIONS: Positive outcomes from targeted interventions, whether pharmacological or dietary should encourage the exploration of innovative, long-term strategies that include personalized treatment alternation. The absence of standardized protocols underscores the importance of careful and tailored planning in managing obesity as a chronic condition.

Comparison of the effects of empagliflozin and sitagliptin, as add-on to metformin, on serum levels of asprosin and metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The effect of sitagliptin and empagliflozin on serum levels of asprosin and metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was assessed in a non-randomized, prospective observational study. Seventy-nine T2DM patients, without adequate glycemic control with metformin monotherapy, were included in the study. In addition to the ongoing metformin treatment, patients received sitagliptin 100 mg and empagliflozin 10 mg once daily for 12 weeks. Anthropometric parameters, lipid and glycemic profile, insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index [HOMA-IR]), and asprosin serum levels were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy. Both empagliflozin and sitagliptin treatments led to similar, significant improvement in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C). Compared to baseline, triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were improved with both treatments, but empagliflozin led to the more improvement. No significant change of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were observed in either group. Insulin resistance was significantly attenuated in both groups, but to a greater degree with empagliflozin treatment. The reduction in serum asprosin levels from baseline was significantly higher in patients taking empagliflozin compared to those receiving sitagliptin. Additionally, individuals on empagliflozin exhibited a more decrease in body mass index (BMI) and body weight compared to those on sitagliptin. According to our findings, the addition of empagliflozin to metformin appeared to offer greater benefits compared to the addition of sitagliptin in terms of decreasing asprosin levels and improving certain metabolic parameters in T2DM patients.

Preliminary study on the ability of the machine learning models based on 18F-FDG PET/CT to differentiate between mass-forming pancreatic lymphoma and pancreatic carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to preliminarily assess the ability of metabolic parameters and radiomics derived from 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) to distinguish mass-forming pancreatic lymphoma from pancreatic carcinoma using machine learning. METHODS: A total of 88 lesions from 86 patients diagnosed as mass-forming pancreatic lymphoma or pancreatic carcinoma were included and randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a 4-to-1 ratio. The segmentation of regions of interest was performed using ITK-SNAP software, PET metabolic parameters and radiomics features were extracted using 3Dslicer and PYTHON. Following the selection of optimal metabolic parameters and radiomics features, Logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) models were constructed for PET metabolic parameters, CT radiomics, PET radiomics, and PET/CT radiomics. Model performance was assessed in terms of area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in both the training and validation sets. RESULTS: Strong discriminative ability observed in all models, with AUC values ranging from 0.727 to 0.978. The highest performance exhibited by the combined PET and CT radiomics features. AUC values for PET/CT radiomics models in the training set were LR 0.994, SVM 0.994, RF 0.989. In the validation set, AUC values were LR 0.909, SVM 0.883, RF 0.844. CONCLUSION: Machine learning models utilizing the metabolic parameters and radiomics of 18F-FDG PET/CT show promise in distinguishing between pancreatic carcinoma and mass-forming pancreatic lymphoma. Further validation on a larger cohort is necessary before practical implementation in clinical settings.

Changes in metabolic parameters and serum YKL-40 levels in Chinese rheumatoid arthritis patients during tocilizumab therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the metabolic changes during therapy of tocilizumab (TCZ) and methotrexate (MTX) in non-diabetic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and for the first time explore the associations between metabolic parameters and serum YKL-40 (sYKL-40) levels. METHODS: We enrolled active non-diabetic RA patients who were refractory to MTX. Patients received intravenous TCZ (8 mg/kg) once every 4 weeks combined with MTX for 24 weeks. Metabolic parameters and sYKL-40 levels were measured before TCZ infusion at baseline, week 4, week 12, and week 24. Correlations were assessed by the Spearman's rank correlation analysis. RESULTS: A total of 91 non-diabetic RA patients were enrolled in this study. At week 24, we observed a significant elevation in body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) levels. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in TC/HDL­C ratio. No apparent changes in insulin resistance were found. Additionally, we detected a significant reduction in sYKL-40 levels during the study. At week 24, changes in sYKL-40 levels showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.334, p = 0.002) with changes in TC levels. CONCLUSION: The combined therapy of TCZ and MTX resulted in a significant increase in BMI and lipid levels, while an evident decrease in the TC/HDL­C ratio and sYKL-40 levels in RA patients. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between the decrease in sYKL-40 levels and the increase in TC levels during treatment with TCZ and MTX. Key Points • Lipid levels elevated significantly and sYKL-40 levels decreased obviously after therapy of TCZ combined with MTX in Chinese RA patients. • There was a significant correlation between the increase in TC levels and the decrease in sYKL-40 levels during treatment with TCZ and MTX in RA patients.

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is independently associated with the bioelectrical impedance phase angle in junior sumo wrestlers: A pilot study.

The study explores the relationship between phase angle (PhA), an indicator of cellular health, and metabolic health parameters among junior sumo wrestlers in Japan. Given the demanding lifestyle and high-energy diets of sumo wrestlers that predispose them to metabolic syndrome post-retirement, this study focuses on a younger cohort. The primary aim is to evaluate if PhA could serve as an early indicator of metabolic health issues within this unique demographic. A total of 14 sumo wrestlers aged 9-17 years were assessed to determine the relationship between PhA and various metabolic markers, including glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), using a TANITA MC-780A-N body composition analyzer and standard blood tests. Bivariate regression analysis and Pearson's correlation revealed a negative relationship between PhA and HbA1c even after adjusting for age and weight (ß = -0.496, r2 = 0.776, r = -0.756, p = 0.004). The results indicate a significant negative relationship between PhA and HbA1c levels, suggesting that lower PhA values, which indicate poorer cellular integrity, are associated with higher HbA1c levels, signifying impaired glycemic control. These findings underscore the potential of PhA as a valuable biomarker for monitoring metabolic health in young sumo wrestlers, with implications for early intervention and management strategies.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Obesity, Metabolic Parameters and Clinical Values in the South Korean Adult Population.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on obesity, metabolic parameters, and clinical values in the South Korean population. Data from the seventh and eighth National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed, comprising 3560 participants in 2018 (pre-COVID-19) and 3309 participants in 2021 (post-COVID-19). The study focused on adults aged 19 years and older who were overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). The results showed a significant increase in waist circumference (approximately 2 cm), BMI (approximately 0.11 kg/m2), systolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (1.76 mg/dL higher), and glycated hemoglobin (0.14% higher) in the post-COVID-19 group compared to the pre-COVID-19 group. Additionally, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia increased by 4% after the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest an increased risk of obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic disorders, such as blood sugar disorders, in the post-COVID-19 period. Urine analysis revealed abnormal findings, including occult blood, urobilinogen, hematuria, proteinuria, ketone urea, glycosuria, and bacteriuria. The study highlights the negative impact of lifestyle changes, such as reduced physical activity and social gatherings, on physical vital signs and clinical values during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dietary Total Polyphenol, Flavonoid, and Lignan Intakes Are Associated with Obesity and Diabetes-Related Traits: A Case-Control Study.

Purpose: Dietary phytochemicals have been under examination as adjuvants for the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes. This study aimed at examining the potential associations of dietary "Phytochemical Index" (PI) and polyphenol intake with obesity and diabetes-related parameters. Materials and Methods: The case-control study involved 331 participants (156 overweight/obese and 175 normal weight), aged 18-50 years. Dietary intake was assessed using the 24-hr dietary recall method, and the PI score was calculated as the percentage of energy intake provided by phytochemical-rich foods. Polyphenol intakes were calculated using Phenol-Explorer and U.S. Department of Agriculture databases. Anthropometrical measurements were taken, serum glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles were analyzed, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated, and blood pressure was measured. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the potential associations. Results: Participants with higher PI scores had higher total and some sub-classes polyphenol intakes compared with lower ones (P < 0.05, for each). Dietary PI score was not associated with any of the anthropometrical measurements; however, total polyphenol and flavonoids intakes were inversely associated with body mass index (ß = -0.269, P = 0.049; ß = -0.262, P = 0.048; respectively), waist circumference (ß = -0.127, P = 0.021; ß = -0.130, P = 0.016; respectively), and waist-to-hip ratio (ß = -20.724, P = 0.032; ß = -22.199, P = 0.018; respectively) after adjusting for potential confounders. Either dietary PI score or total and sub-class polyphenol intakes were not associated with a better metabolic profile, except for the lignan intake, which was inversely associated with HOMA-IR (ß = -0.048, P = 0.011). Conclusions: Higher dietary polyphenol intake may have potential in the prevention of obesity and diabetes, and validated practical tools are essential for the assessment of polyphenol intake in clinical practice.

Acid base and metabolic parameters of the umbilical cord blood and cerebral oxygenation immediately after birth.

Objective: Aim was to investigate whether acid-base and metabolic parameters obtained from arterial umbilical cord blood affect cerebral oxygenation after birth in preterm neonates with respiratory support and in term neonates without respiratory support. Study design: This was a post-hoc analysis of secondary outcome parameters of a prospective observational study including preterm neonates with and term neonates without respiratory support. Non-asphyxiated neonates with cerebral oxygenation measured with near-infrared spectroscopy during the first 15 min and with blood gas analyses from arterial umbilical cord blood were included. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) were monitored with pulse oximetry. Potential correlations were investigated between acid-base and metabolic parameters (pH-value, bicarbonate, base-excess, and lactate) and crSO2/cFTOE 5 min after birth. Results: Seventy-seven neonates were included: 14 preterm neonates with respiratory support (mean gestational age [GA] 31.4 ± 4.1 weeks; mean birth weight [BW] 1,690 ± 640 g) and 63 term neonates without respiratory support (GA 38.7 ± 0.8 weeks; BW 3,258 ± 443 g). Mean crSO2 5 min after birth was 44.0% ± 24.2% in preterm and 62.2% ± 20.01% in term neonates. Mean cFTOE 5 min after birth was 0.46 ± 0.06 in preterm and 0.27 ± 0.19 in term neonates. In preterm neonates with respiratory support higher lactate was significantly associated with lower crSO2 and SpO2 and tended to be associated with higher cFTOE. In term neonates without respiratory support no significant correlations were found. Conclusion: In non-asphyxiated preterm neonates with respiratory support, lactate levels were negatively associated with crSO2 and SpO2, whereas in term neonates without respiratory support no associations were observed.

Predictive significance of pretreatment 18F-FDG PET volumetric parameters on survival outcomes in pediatric patients with locally advanced undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare pediatric cancer. Most children are first diagnosed with advanced locoregional disease. Identification of patients at higher risk of treatment failure is crucial as they may benefit from more aggressive initial treatment approaches. 18Fluorine-labeled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) has shown promise as a prognostic tool for predicting outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective study of pediatric patients with locally advanced undifferentiated NPC who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT prior to intial treatment. Predictive significance of metabolic PET parameters on survival outcomes were estimated. RESULTS: Thirty-two children were included, age range was 7.1-18 years at the time of diagnosis. The median follow-up duration was 46.1 months. Three patients (9.4%) were classified as AJCC stage IIb, 13 patients (40.6%) as stage IIIa, eight patients (25%) as stage IIIb, and eight patients (25%) as stage IVa. Our findings revealed that high whole-body metabolic tumor volume at the threshold of hepatic reference SUVmean (WB-MTV-HR) (>135 mL) was associated with significantly lower event-free survival (EFS) compared to the low WB-MTV-HR group (≤135 mL) (3-year EFS: 50% ± 18% vs. 82% ± 8%; p = .015). Additionally, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rates differed significantly between the high whole-body metabolic tumor volume at the threshold of an SUV of 2.5 isocontour (WB-MTV-2.5) group (MTV >74 mL) and the low WB-MTV-2.5 group (MTV ≤74 mL) (63% ± 18% vs. 100%; p = .021). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that WB-MTV parameters could serve as significant prognostic factors for disease progression in pediatric patients with locally advanced undifferentiated NPC. However, further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings.

Hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects of empagliflozin in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed a high-fat diet.

A combination of liver and heart dysfunction worsens the prognosis of human survival. The aim of this study was to investigate whether empagliflozin (a sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibitor) has beneficial effects not only on cardiac and renal function but also on hepatic function. Adult (6-month-old) male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were fed a high-fat diet (60% fat) for four months to induce hepatic steatosis and mild heart failure. For the last two months, the rats were treated with empagliflozin (empa, 10 mg.kg-1.day-1 in the drinking water). Renal function and oral glucose tolerance test were analyzed in control (n=8), high-fat diet (SHR+HF, n=10), and empagliflozin-treated (SHR+HF+empa, n=9) SHR throughout the study. Metabolic parameters and echocardiography were evaluated at the end of the experiment. High-fat diet feeding increased body weight and visceral adiposity, liver triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, and worsened glucose tolerance. Although the high-fat diet did not affect renal function, it significantly worsened cardiac function in a subset of SHR rats. Empagliflozin reduced body weight gain but not visceral fat deposition. It also improved glucose sensitivity and several metabolic parameters (plasma insulin, uric acid, and HDL cholesterol). In the liver, empagliflozin reduced ectopic lipid accumulation, lipoperoxidation, inflammation and pro-inflammatory HETEs, while increasing anti-inflammatory EETs. In addition, empagliflozin improved cardiac function (systolic, diastolic and pumping) independent of blood pressure. The results of our study suggest that hepatoprotection plays a decisive role in the beneficial effects of empagliflozin in preventing the progression of cardiac dysfunction induced by high-fat diet feeding.

The impacts of dietary sphingomyelin supplementation on metabolic parameters of healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Studies have shown that sphingomyelin (SM) and its metabolites play signaling roles in the regulation of human health. Endogenous SM is involved in metabolic syndrome (MetS), while dietary SM supplementation may maintain lipid metabolism and prevent or alleviate MetS. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary SM supplementation is beneficial for human health. Aims: In order to examine the impacts of dietary SM on metabolic indexes in adults without MetS, we performed a meta-analysis to test our hypothesis. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed to retrieve randomized controlled trials that were conducted between 2003 and 2023 to examine the effects of dietary SM supplementation on metabolic parameters in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. RevMan 5.4 and Stata 14.0 software were used for meta-analysis, a sensitivity analysis, the risk of bias, and the overall quality of the resulted evidence. Results: Eventually, 10 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Dietary SM supplementation did not affect the endline blood SM level. When compared to the control, SM supplementation reduced the blood total cholesterol level [MD: -12.97, 95% CI: (-14.57, -11.38), p < 0.00001], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level [MD: -6.62, 95% CI: (-10.74, -2.49), p = 0.002], and diastolic blood pressure [MD: -3.31; 95% CI (-4.03, -2.58), p < 0.00001] in adults without MetS. The supplementation also increased high-density lipoprotein level [MD:1.41, 95% CI: (0.94, 1.88), p < 0.00001] and muscle fiber conduction velocity [MD: 95% 1.21 CI (0.53, 1.88), p = 0.0005]. The intake of SM had no effect on the blood phospholipids and lyso-phosphatidylcholine, but slightly decreased phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol concentrations. Dietary SM supplementation reduced insulin level [MD: -0.63; 95% CI (-0.96, -0.31), p = 0.0001] and HOMA-IR [MD: -0.23; 95% CI (-0.31, -0.16), p < 0.00001] without affecting blood levels of glucose and inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Overall, dietary SM supplementation had a protective effect on blood lipid profiles and insulin level, but had limited impacts on other metabolic parameters in adults without MetS. More clinical trials and basic research are required. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023438460.