The Effect of Nutritional Status in the Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infections in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) continue to be a complication that plagues arthroplasty. Albumin is a surrogate marker for nutrition as well as chronic inflammation, and hypoalbuminemia increases the risk of complications in arthroplasty. Patients with PJI are at increased risk for malnutrition and complications. This study's objective was to analyze patients who underwent treatment of PJI following total hip arthroplasty and investigate the outcome with regards to albumin levels. METHODS: Overall, 48 patients who underwent surgery for a total hip PJI at 1 institution were reviewed. Albumin and C-reactive protein were recorded preoperatively and 2 to 3 weeks postoperatively. Treatment failure was determined by further surgical treatment for PJI or repeat infection, as determined by Musculoskeletal Infection Society guidelines. RESULTS: A debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention procedure was performed in 39 patients, and explant with the placement of an antibiotic spacer was performed in 9. Preoperative mean albumin levels were significantly decreased in patients who failed to clear their infection compared to patients who remained infection-free (2.5 versus 3.3, P < .001). Postoperative albumin levels decreased in this same population (2.6 versus 3.8, P < .001). C-reactive protein was elevated in patients who failed to clear their infection preoperatively (19.9 versus 7.5, P < .001) and postoperatively (7.0 versus 1.7, P < .001). The average time to repeat surgical treatment for their PJI was 9 months CONCLUSIONS: Lower albumin levels are observed in patients with PJI who failed to remain infection-free after surgery. Albumin is a surrogate marker for nutrition, and low albumin is associated with poor immune function. Hypoalbuminemia is found with chronic inflammation as well as malnutrition. Nutritional reserves are diverted to the acute inflammatory response during an infection, which can lead to a deficient state. Further research may develop treatments to alter this modifiable risk factor. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

The different serum albumin assays influence the prescriptions in children with primary nephrotic syndrome.

The differences between the serum albumin determined by bromocresol green (BCG) and immunonephelometry (IN) were inconsistent in past studies, and the samples were all adults. We sought to determine the differences in children and reveal the impacts of these differences on the clinical diagnosis and treatments of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS). Repeated measurements from 576 PNS children showed that albumin measured by BCG and IN (ALB-B and ALB-I) were 19.95 (11.15) g/L and 15.30 (11.05) g/L, respectively, and the mean difference was 4.68 g/L (P < 0.001). The cut-offs we calculated for hypoalbuminemia and severe hypoalbuminemia based on the IN were 25 and 15 g/L, which were 5 g/L lower than the cut-offs recommended by KIDGO, respectively. A pair of historical control samples (206 vs. 216) with ALB-B or ALB-I showed that the proportion of severe hypoalbuminemia was 14.60% greater in IN group (75.20% vs. 60.60%, P < 0.001). The misdiagnosis rate of severe hypoalbuminemia by IN was 33.77% when 20 g/L rather than 15 g/L was used as the cut-off. Furthermore, the proportion of patients receiving albumin injections increased by 10.20%, and the average consumption increased by 97.06% (P = 0.01) along with the use of IN. So, our results suggested that the difference between ALB-B and ALB-I led to misdiagnosis and prescription abuse in PNS children.

[Research progress on detection techniques for effective albumin concentration].

Hypoalbuminemia is one of the important clinical features of decompensated cirrhosis. As the disease progresses, not only does the total albumin concentration decrease, but so does the proportion of albumin that remains structurally and functionally intact. The structural and functional integrity of albumin is essential for its normal physiological role in the body. This led to the concept of "effective albumin concentration," which may be much lower than the total albumin concentration routinely measured clinically in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EMR) are emerging technologies for effective albumin concentration detection, showing promising clinical application prospects, but research in patients with cirrhosis is still in the preliminary stage. Therefore, this article will comprehensively summarize the latest research on the aspects of effective albumin detection methods, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and electron paramagnetic resonance, as well as their applications.

Is serum albumin a pivotal biomarker in anticipating acute pancreatitis outcomes?

This study aimed to assess the significance of serum albumin levels within 24 h of patient admission in correlation with the incidence of outcomes and mortality in patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. A retrospective study was conducted over a 5-year period, from January 2018 to December 2023, at the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Oujda, Morocco. The study included 371 patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Hypoalbuminemia (≤ 30 g/L) was observed in 124 patients (33.4% of cases), and these patients had a higher mean age compared to those with normal albumin levels (P = 0.003). Hypoalbuminemia was significantly associated with persistent Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) (70.8% vs. 29.2%, P = 0.000), a higher BISAP score (66.7% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.000), and a higher CTSI score (51.7% vs. 48.3%, P = 0.000). Hypoalbuminemia was also associated with the presence of pleural effusion (P = 0.000). The mortality in the sample was 4.6%, and it was significantly associated with hypoalbuminemia (76.5%, P = 0.000). In conclusion, serum albumin levels within 24 h of patient admission appear to be a significant prognostic biomarker in acute pancreatitis, particularly in anticipating persistent organ failure and mortality.

Design and validation of a predictive equation to estimate unbound valproic acid concentration.

OBJECTIVES: Total plasma levels of valproic acid (VPA) may mask an increased risk of adverse effects in hypoalbuminaemic patients since, in these patients, the free fraction is higher. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between plasma levels of total and free VPA (FVPA) in hypoalbuminaemic patients and define an equation that allows the estimation of FVPA concentration, as well as to validate the obtained equation. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study conducted between January 2015 and January 2020. Hypoalbuminaemic adult patients with normal renal function were included. Serum VPA levels were determined using an automated enzyme immunoassay technique with a pre-treatment of the sample by ultrafiltration for the quantification of FVPA. Patients' determinations were randomised into two groups: first, to calculate the FVPA estimation equation (regression group) by multiple linear regression analysis; and second to validate the equation (validation group), calculating the agreement between experimental and estimated FVPA concentrations using Lin's coefficient and a Bland and Altman analysis. RESULTS: We included 51 determinations, corresponding to 33 patients: 26 in the regression group, and 25 in the validation group. The multiple linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between FVPA concentration (Y), total VPA concentration (X1) and albumin level (X2), explained by the equation Y=11.882 + 0.216*X1-4.722*X2. Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.798 (p<0.001). Lin's coefficient was 0.82 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.92). The Bland and Altman analysis showed a bias of 0.32 mg/L, and the concordance limits were between -3.80 and 4.44. CONCLUSIONS: The calculated equation adequately predicts FVPA concentration, with a high degree of correlation between the variables. Despite Lin's coefficient outcome, Bland and Altman analysis showed a minimum bias that slightly underestimates FVPA concentration, positioning the calculated equation as a useful and validated estimation tool in hypoalbuminaemic patients with normal renal function.

Association between postoperative hypoalbuminemia and postoperative pulmonary imaging abnormalities patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors: a retrospective cohort study.

Hypoalbuminemia is associated with poor outcome in patients undergoing surgery intervention. The main aim for this study was to investigate the incidence and the risk factors of postoperative hypoalbuminemia and assessed the impact of postoperative hypoalbuminemia on complications in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery. This retrospective study included 372 consecutive patients who underwent brain tumors surgery from January 2017 to December 2019. The patients were divided into hypoalbuminemia (< 35 g/L) and non-hypoalbuminemia group (≥ 35 g/L) based on postoperative albumin levels. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine risk factors. Of the total 372 patients, 333 (89.5%) developed hypoalbuminemia after surgery. Hypoalbuminemia was associated with operation time (OR 1.011, P < 0.001), preoperative albumin (OR 0.864, P = 0.015) and peroperative globulin (OR 1.192, P = 0.004). Postoperative pulmonary imaging abnormalities had a higher incidence in patients with than without hypoalbuminemia (41.1% vs 23.1%, P = 0.029). The independent predictors of postoperative pulmonary imaging abnormalities were age (OR 1.053, P < 0.001), operation time (OR 1.003, P = 0.013) and lower postoperative albumin (OR 0.946, P = 0.018). Pulmonary imaging abnormalities [OR 19.862 (95% CI 2.546-154.936, P = 0.004)] was a novel independent predictors of postoperative pneumonia. Postoperative hypoalbuminemia has a higher incidence with the increase of operation time, and may be associated with postoperative complications in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery.

Hypoalbuminemia affects one third of acute pancreatitis patients and is independently associated with severity and mortality.

The incidence and medical costs of acute pancreatitis (AP) are on the rise, and severe cases still have a 30% mortality rate. We aimed to evaluate hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor and the prognostic value of human serum albumin in AP. Data from 2461 patients were extracted from the international, prospective, multicentre AP registry operated by the Hungarian Pancreatic Study Group. Data from patients with albumin measurement in the first 48 h (n = 1149) and anytime during hospitalization (n = 1272) were analysed. Multivariate binary logistic regression and Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis were used. The prevalence of hypoalbuminemia (< 35 g/L) was 19% on admission and 35.7% during hospitalization. Hypoalbuminemia dose-dependently increased the risk of severity, mortality, local complications and organ failure and is associated with longer hospital stay. The predictive value of hypoalbuminemia on admission was poor for severity and mortality. Severe hypoalbuminemia (< 25 g/L) represented an independent risk factor for severity (OR 48.761; CI 25.276-98.908) and mortality (OR 16.83; CI 8.32-35.13). Albumin loss during AP was strongly associated with severity (p < 0.001) and mortality (p = 0.002). Hypoalbuminemia represents an independent risk factor for severity and mortality in AP, and it shows a dose-dependent relationship with local complications, organ failure and length of stay.

Independent and joint effects of high-sensitivity c-reactive protein and hypoalbuminemia on long-term all-cause mortality among coronary artery disease: a prospective and multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) plays an important role in hypoalbuminemia as a representative of inflammation, which is closely associated with poor prognosis among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to evaluate the independent and joint effects of high hs-CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia on long-term mortality among CAD patients. METHODS: A total of 1449 CAD patients were included from a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study (REICIN, NCT01402232) of patients referred for coronary angiography (CAG). The primary endpoint was long-term all-cause death. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 2.9 (2.0-3.0) years, a total of 107 (7.4%) patients died. The long-term mortality was higher among CAD patients with high hs-CRP levels (> 3 mg/L) than those with the low hs-CRP levels (≤ 3 mg/L; 10.7% versus 4.1%; hazard ratio [HR] 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-4.17). Similarly, CAD patients with hypoalbuminemia had higher mortality than those without hypoalbuminemia (12.2% versus 4.9%; HR 1.93; 95% CI 1.20-3.08). When hs-CRP and albumin were combined, CAD patients with high hs-CRP levels (> 3 mg/L) and with hypoalbuminemia were at the highest risk of death compared with their reference group (hs-CRP ≤ 3 mg/L and albumin > 35 g/L; HR 3.79; 95% CI 1.91-7.52). CONCLUSIONS: High hs-CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia were independently and jointly associated with long-term mortality among CAD patients. Patients with high hs-CRP levels and hypoalbuminemia had the highest risk of long-term mortality compared with other groups.

Preoperative malnutrition in patients with colorectal cancer.

Preoperative malnutrition in patients with colorectal cancer is associated with several postoperative consequences and poorer prognosis. Currently, there is a lack of a universal screening tool to assess nutritional status, and intervention to treat preoperative malnutrition is often neglected. This review summarizes and compares preoperative screening and interventional tools to help providers optimize malnourished patients with colorectal cancer for surgery. We found that nutritional screenings, such as the Subjectibe Global Assessment, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment, Prognostic Nutritional Index, Nutrition Risk Index, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, Nutrition Risk Screening 2002, Nutrition Risk Score, serum albumin, and prealbumin, have all effectively predicted postoperative outcome. Physicians should consider which of these tools best fits their needs based on the their mode of assessment, efficiency, and specified parameters. Additionally, preoperative nutritional support, such as trimodal prehabilitation, modified peripheral parenteral nutrition, and N-3 fatty acid and arginine supplementation, which have also benefited patients postoperatively, ought to be implemented appropriately according to their ease of execution. Given the high prevalence of preoperative malnutrition in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer, it is essential that health care providers assess and treat this malnutrition to reduce postoperative complications and length of hospital stay, and to improve prognosis to augment a patient's quality of care.La malnutrition préopératoire chez les patients atteints d'un cancer colorectal est associée à plusieurs complications postopératoires et à un pronostic plus sombre. Il n'existe actuellement aucun outil universel d'évaluation du statut nutritionnel, et les mesures visant à corriger la malnutrition préopératoire font souvent défaut. La présente revue résume et compare les outils de dépistage et d'intervention préopératoires pour aider les professionnels à améliorer l'état des patients dénutris qui doivent subir une chirurgie pour le cancer colorectal. Nous avons constaté que le dépistage nutritionnel à l'aide de questionnaires tels que l'Évaluation globale subjective, l'Index nutritionnel pronostique, l'Outil universel de dépistage de la malnutrition, NRS 2002 (Nutrition Risk Screening 2002), l'évaluation du risque nutritionnel, et le dosage de l'albumine et de la préalbumine sériques, a permis de prédire avec justesse l'issue de la chirurgie. Les médecins devraient vérifier lequel de ces outils est le mieux adapté à leurs besoins selon leur modalité d'évaluation, leur efficience et autres paramètres spécifiques. Également, un soutien nutritionnel préopératoire, comme la préadaptation trimodale, la nutrition parentérale périphérique modifiée et les suppléments d'acides gras N-3 et d'arginine, qui ont aussi donné des résultats postopératoires favorables, devrait être appliqué selon sa facilité d'administration. Étant donné la forte prévalence de la malnutrition préopératoire chez les patients soumis à une chirurgie pour cancer colorectal, les professionnels de la santé se doivent d'évaluer et de corriger la malnutrition afin de prévenir les complications postopératoires, d'abréger la durée du séjour hospitalier, et d'améliorer ainsi le pronostic et la qualité des soins.

Predictive value of hypoalbuminemia and severe hypoalbuminemia in oncologic spine surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of a prospectively collected national database. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive value of hypoalbuminemia on outcomes in surgical spine oncology patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: It is well documented that patients with hypoalbuminemia (albumin <3.5) have significantly higher rates of surgical morbidity and mortality than patients with normal albumin (>3.5 g/dl). We evaluated outcomes for metastatic oncologic spine surgery patients based on pre-operative albumin levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for metastatic spine disease were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database from 2006 to 2016. Three groups were established: patients with normal albumin (>3.5 g/dl), mild hypoalbuminemia (2.6 g/dl - 3.4 g/dl), and severe hypoalbuminemia (<=2.5 g/dl). A multivariate analysis was used to assess the association between albumin levels and mortality within 30 days of surgical intervention. RESULTS: A total of 700 patients who underwent surgery for metastatic spinal disease and had pre-operative albumin levels available were identified; 64.0% had normal albumin (>3.5 g/dl), 29.6% had mild hypoalbuminemia, and 6.4% had severe hypoalbuminemia. The overall 30-day mortality was 7.6% for patients with normal albumin, 15.9% for patients with mild hypoalbuminemia, and 44.4% for patients with severe hypoalbuminemia. On multivariate analysis, patients with mild hypoalbuminemia (OR 1.7 95% CI: 1.0-3.0 p = 0.05) and severe hypoalbuminemia (OR 6.2 95% CI: 2.8-13.5 p < 0.001) were more likely to expire within 30 days compared to patients with preoperative albumin above 3.5 g/dl. CONCLUSION: In this study, albumin level was found to be an independent predictor of 30-day mortality in patients who underwent operative intervention for metastatic spinal disease. Patients with severe hypoalbuminemia had a 7-fold increased risk when compared with those who had normal albumin. While these findings need to be validated by future studies, we believe they will prove useful for preoperative risk stratification and surgical decision-making.

Clinical characteristics of cardiovascular patients with extremely low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: Extremely low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are related to high cardiovascular mortality. The underlying mechanism is not well known. This research aims to study the clinical characteristics of cardiovascular patients with extremely low levels of HDL-C. METHODS: All cardiovascular patients in a single Chinese cardiology center that were admitted from January to December 2019 were reviewed. The clinical characteristics of those with HDL-C<20 mg/dL were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 20,655 individuals were enrolled. Of these, 52.17 % were males, and the average age was 58.20 ± 12.98 years old. The prevalence of HDL-C<20 mg/dL was 0.47 % for all patients (N=98) and 1.05 % for inpatients. Of those with HDL-C<20 mg/dL, 88.8 % were inpatients, and 77.6 % were males. Their average age was 60.7 ± 15.1 years. Compared with matched patients with normal HDL-C, systemic inflammation (OR= 5.556, 95% CI 2.798-11.030), hypoalbuminemia (OR=5.714, 95% CI 2.702-12.085), hyperuricemia (OR=5.156, 95% CI 2.560-10.386), low T3 syndrome (OR=4.278, 95% CI 1.627-11.245), anemia (OR=3.577, 95% CI 1.680-7.617), diabetes (OR=3.534, 95% CI 1.693-7.376) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR=2.493, 95% CI 1.264-4.918) were identified as adverse concomitant factors of extremely low HDL-C. HDL-C levels were inversely correlated with the total risk scores in patients with HDL-C<20 mg/dL (r=-0.381, P<0.001) and more significantly correlated in patients with HDL-C<15 mg/dL (r=-0.511, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Extremely low levels of HDL-C tend to occur more frequently in males, older individuals and inpatients. For cardiovascular patients, extremely low levels of HDL-C are usually due to the presence of multiple adverse factors with relatively severe conditions. This could explain the high cardiovascular mortality of individuals with extremely low levels of HDL-C.

Hypoalbuminemia is Associated with Mortality in Patients Undergoing Lower Extremity Amputation.

BACKGROUND: Poor nutritional status is common among patients undergoing lower extremity amputation (LEA). In this study, the association between preoperative hypoalbuminemia, a marker for malnutrition, and postoperative mortality in patients undergoing LEA was explored. METHODS: Data on patients undergoing LEA between 2005 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed from the prospectively collected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were divided into clinically relevant categories based on their serum albumin level (<2.5, 2.5-3.39, ≥3.4 g/dl) and were further stratified according to amputation level. Operative death was compared across groups and multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate risk-adjusted odds ratio (AOR). RESULTS: In 35,383 patients, the rate of 30-day postoperative mortality was 7.6% (n = 2693). Mortality rate was highest in patients with very low albumin levels (11%) as compared to low (6.8%) and normal levels (3.9%). On multivariable analysis, lower albumin levels emerged as a risk-adjusted independent predictor of mortality. After risk-adjustment, patients with very low albumin levels (AOR [95% CI]: 2.25 [1.969-2.56], P < 0.001) and low albumin levels (AOR [95% CI]: 1.42 [1.239-1.616], P < 0.001) had higher odds of mortality when compared to patients with normal albumin levels. On sensitivity analysis, a similar trend was seen in patients undergoing above knee amputation but not in patients undergoing minor amputations. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing major LEA, hypoalbuminemia is associated with an increased risk of postoperative mortality in a dose response manner, specifically in above knee amputations. Monitoring and optimizing patients' nutritional status before surgery, when possible, may be warranted and should be further explored.

Low serum albumin levels and in-hospital outcomes in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Low serum albumin (SA) is associated with an increased risk of long-term adverse events (AEs) among patients with chronic coronary syndromes. Its prognostic role in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is less clear. To investigate the association between low SA and in-hospital AEs in STEMI patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Multicenter retrospective cohort study of 220 STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention within 12 h from the onset of symptoms. Hypoalbuminemia was defined by serum SA <35 g/L. SA. In-hospital AEs were defined as cardiogenic shock, resuscitated cardiac arrest and death. Median SA was 38 (IQR 35.4-41.0) g/L and 37 (16.8%) patients showed hypoalbuminemia (<35 g/L) on admission. Patients with hypoalbuminemia were older, more frequently women and diabetics, prior CAD and HF. Furthermore, they showed lower hemoglobin levels and impaired renal function. At multivariable logistic regression analysis, diabetes (odds ratio [OR]:4.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71-12.28, p = 0.002) and haemoglobin (OR:0.52, 95%CI 0.37-0.72, p < 0.001) were associated with low SA. In a subgroup of 132 patients, SA inversely correlated with D-Dimer (rS -0.308, p < 0.001). Globally, twenty-eight (14.6%) AEs were recorded. Hypoalbuminemia (OR:3.43, 95%CI 1.30-9.07, p = 0.013), high-sensitive (HS)-Troponin peak above median (OR:5.41, 95%CI 1.99-14.7, p = 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) peak above median (OR:6.03, 95%CI 2.02-18.00, p = 0.001), and in-hospital infection (OR:3.61, 95%CI 1.21-10.80, p = 0.022) were associated with AEs. CONCLUSION: Low SA levels are associated with worse in-hospital AEs in STEMI patients, irrespective of HS-troponin and CRP plasma levels. Our findings suggest that low SA may contribute to the pro-thrombotic phenotype of these patients.

Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis and Dosing Optimization Based on Unbound Daptomycin Concentration and Cystatin C in Nonobese Elderly Patients with Hypoalbuminemia and Chronic Kidney Disease.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the population pharmacokinetics of daptomycin in nonobese elderly patients with hypoalbuminemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) using the glomerular filtration rate estimated from cystatin C (eGFRcys) and estimated its optimal dose. METHODS: We performed population pharmacokinetic analysis of the unbound concentrations of daptomycin. The probability of target attainment of 90% for achieving an area under the concentration-time curve of unbound daptomycin at steady state/ minimum inhibitory concentration ratio of ≥66.6 was stochastically simulated. RESULTS: In the population pharmacokinetic analysis of 25 patients aged ≥65 years, the two-compartment model using eGFRcys and age as covariates of clearance in central compartment of unbound daptomycin were optimal. The unbound fraction rate (fu) was 0.05-0.14. According to the Monte Carlo simulation, the optimal doses for patients with eGFRcys of 20-60 mL/min and aged 65-95 years were calculated as 200-500 mg q24h. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that establishing the dose using total concentrations may result in under- or overestimation caused by alterations in fu. The optimal dose for nonobese elderly patients with hypoalbuminemia and CKD depends on eGFRcys and age, and a standard dose may be insufficient for some patients.

Effect of zinc deficiency on chronic kidney disease progression and effect modification by hypoalbuminemia.

Serum zinc (Zn) levels tend to be low in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. This cohort study was conducted to investigate the relationship between zinc deficiency and CKD progression. Patients were classified into two groups based on Zn levels < 60 µg/dl (low-Zn group, n = 160) and ≥ 60 µg/dl (high-Zn group, n = 152). The primary outcome was defined as end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or death and was examined over a 1-year observation period. Overall, the mean Zn level was 59.6 µg/dl and the median eGFR was 20.3 ml/min/1.73 m2. The incidence of the primary outcome was higher in the low-Zn group (p<0.001). Various Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for baseline characteristics showed higher risks of the primary outcome in the low-Zn group than in the high-Zn group. Competing risks analysis showed that low Zn levels were associated with ESKD but not with death. Moreover, in propensity score-matched analysis, the low-Zn group showed a higher risk of the primary outcome [adjusted hazard ratio 1.81 (95% confidence interval 1.02, 3.24)]. Furthermore, an interaction was observed between Zn and serum albumin levels (interaction p = 0.026). The results of this study indicate that zinc deficiency is a risk factor for CKD progression.

Treatment patterns and outcomes of older patients with mantle cell lymphoma in an Asian population.

BACKGROUND: Significant progress has been made in the treatment outcomes of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) since the introduction of cytarabine and rituximab in modern regimens. However, older patients may not readily tolerate these agents nor derive benefit. We investigated the impact of age on treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of MCL patients in an Asian population. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients (n = 66) diagnosed with MCL at the National Cancer Centre Singapore between 1998 and 2018. The median follow-up duration was 40 months. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional models. RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 59 years (range, 26-84), with a male predominance (73%). The majority (86%) had advanced stage 3-4 disease at diagnosis. Compared with younger patients, older patients aged ≥60 years (n = 32; 48.5%) presented more frequently with B-symptoms (75% vs 38%, p = 0.0028), anaemia (75% vs 35%, p = 0.0013), and carried higher prognostic risk scores (sMIPI high risk 84% vs 56%, p = 0.016). Non-cytarabine-based induction chemotherapy was more commonly administered in older patients (76% vs 32%, p = 0.0012). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was 68 and 25% respectively. In a multivariable model, older age (HR 3.42, 95%CI 1.48-7.92, p = 0.004) and anemia (HR 2.56, 95%CI 1.10-5.96, p = 0.029) were independently associated with poorer OS while older age (HR 2.24, 95%CI 1.21-4.14, p = 0.010) and hypoalbuminemia (HR 2.20, 95%CI 1.17-4.13, p = 0.014) were independently associated with poorer PFS. In an exploratory analysis, maintenance rituximab following induction chemotherapy improved PFS in younger patients, with median PFS of 131 months and 45 months with or without maintenance therapy respectively (HR 0.39, 95%CI 0.16-0.93, p = 0.035). In contrast, no survival benefit was observed in older patients. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated in our analysis that older patients with MCL may harbor adverse clinical features and may not derive benefit from maintenance rituximab, highlighting the need for further research in this area of need.

Elevated transaminases and hypoalbuminemia in Covid-19 are prognostic factors for disease severity.

Prognostic markers are needed to understand the disease course and severity in patients with Covid-19. There is evidence that Covid-19 causes gastrointestinal symptoms and abnormalities in liver enzymes. We aimed to determine if hepatobiliary laboratory data could predict disease severity in patients with Covid-19. In this retrospective, single institution, cohort study that analyzed patients admitted to a community academic hospital with the diagnosis of Covid-19, we found that elevations of Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) at any time during hospital admission increased the odds of ICU admission by 5.12 (95% CI: 1.55-16.89; p = 0.007), 4.71 (95% CI: 1.51-14.69; p = 0.01) and 4.12 (95% CI: 1.21-14.06, p = 0.02), respectively. Hypoalbuminemia found at the time of admission to the hospital was associated with increased mortality (p = 0.02), hypotension (p = 0.03), and need for vasopressors (p = 0.02), intubation (p = 0.01) and hemodialysis (p = 0.002). Additionally, there was evidence of liver injury: AST was significantly elevated above baseline in patients admitted to the ICU (54.2 ± 15.70 U/L) relative to those who were not (9.2 ± 4.89 U/L; p = 0.01). Taken together, this study found that hypoalbuminemia and abnormalities in hepatobiliary laboratory data may be prognostic factors for disease severity in patients admitted to the hospital with Covid-19.

Genetically determined hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor for hypertension: instrumental variable analysis.

Hypoalbuminemia is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and the development of chronic cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between serum albumin concentration and blood pressure changes remains controversial. Community-based longitudinal cohort data collected from Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were used in this study. Hypoalbuminemia was defined as a serum albumin concentration of ≤ 4.0 g/dL. A total of 4325 participants were categorized into control (n = 3157) and hypoalbuminemia (n = 1168) groups. Serum albumin had a non-linear relationship with the risk of hypertension development. A genome-wide association study revealed 71 susceptibility loci associated with hypoalbuminemia. Among susceptibility loci, genetic variations at rs2894536 in LOC107986598 and rs10972486 in ATP8B5P were related to elevated blood pressure. Serum albumin (HR = 0.654, 95% CI 0.521-0.820) and polymorphisms of rs2894536 (HR = 1.176, 95% CI 1.015-1.361) and rs10972486 (HR = 1.152, 95% CI 1.009-1.316) were significant predictors of hypertension development. Increased albumin concentration instrumented by 2 hypoalbuminemia-associated SNPs (rs2894536 and rs10972486) was associated with decreased HRs for hypertension development (HR = 0.762, 95% CI 0.659-0.882 and HR = 0.759, 95% CI 0.656-0.878). Our study demonstrated that genetically determined hypoalbuminemia is a significant predictor of incipient hypertension.

Hypoalbuminemia in patients following their recovery from severe coronavirus disease 2019.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a contagious virus that has spread to more than 200 countries, territories, and regions. Thousands of studies to date have examined all aspects of this disease, yet little is known about the postrecovery status of patients, especially in the long term. Here, we examined erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum albumin biomarkers in patients with a history of severe and mild-to-moderate COVID-19 following their recovery. In patients with severe COVID-19 serum albumin had a strong negative correlation with both ESR and CRP levels (R2 = - 0.861 and R2 = - 0.711), respectively. Also, there was a positive correlation between ESR and CRP level (R2 = 0.85) in the same group. However, there was no correlation between these biomarkers among mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients. In addition, no correlation was recorded between the severe and mild-to-moderate COVID-19 groups. This finding highlights the sustained elevation of ESR and CRP level and reduced serum albumin level that may persist postrecovery in patients with a history of severe COVID-19.