Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with diabetes mellitus has high incidence, especially in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for IPA in patients with T2DM. A total of 66 patients with T2DM were included, including 21 IPA and 45 non-IPA patients, from January 2022 to December 2022. The demographic characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory test results, antibiotic treatment response, and 30-day mortality rate of patients were analyzed. The diagnostic accuracy of mNGS and conventional methods was compared, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. The sensitivity and specificity of mNGS were 66.7% and 100.0%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of fluorescence staining (42.1% and 100%), serum 1,3-ß-D-glucan detection (38.1% and 90.9%), serum galactomannan detection (14.3% and 94.9%) and BALF galactomannan detection (47.3% and 70.7%). Although the sensitivity of BALF culture (75.0%) was higher than that of mNGS (66.7%), the turnover time of mNGS was significantly shorter than that of traditional culture (1.6 days vs. 5.0 days). The sensitivity of mNGS combined with BALF culture reached 100.0%. In addition, mNGS has a stronger ability to detect co-pathogens with IPA. 47.6% of T2DM patients with IPA were adjusted the initial antimicrobial therapy according to the mNGS results. This is the first study to focus on the diagnostic performance of mNGS in IPA infection in T2DM patients. MNGS can be used as a supplement to conventional methods for the diagnosis of IPA in patients with T2DM.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predicting the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: With the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors used widely in clinic, it becomes very necessary to anticipate whether patients would benefit from it. We aimed to develop a nomogram to evaluate the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 in NPC patients. METHODS: Totally 160 NPC patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were measured before the first PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors treatment and after 8-12 weeks of immunotherapy by radiological examinations to estimate the effect. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression was used to screen hematological markers and establish a predictive model. The nomogram was internally validated by bootstrap resampling and externally validated. Performance of the model was evaluated using concordance index, calibration curve, decision curve analysis and receiver operation characteristic curve. RESULTS: Patients involved were randomly split into training cohort ang validation cohort. Based on Lasso logistic regression, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and ALT to AST ratio (LSR) were selected to establish a predictive model. The C-index of training cohort and validating cohort was 0.745 and 0.760. The calibration curves and decision curves showed the precise predictive ability of this nomogram. The benefit of the model showed in decision curve was better than TNM stage. The area under the curve (AUC) value of training cohort and validation cohort was 0.745 and 0.878, respectively. CONCLUSION: The predictive model helped evaluating efficacy with high accuracy in NPC patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.

Neopterin in patients with COPD, asthma, and ACO: association with endothelial and lung functions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Endothelial dysfunction has been widely recognized in chronic airway diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma; however, it remains unclear in asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). Neopterin (NP), a metabolite of guanosine triphosphate, is a novel biomarker for identifying the increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. This study aims to investigate the association of NP with endothelial dysfunction and impaired lung function in COPD, asthma, and ACO patients. METHODS: A total of 77 subjects were prospectively recruited. All the participants underwent lung function test, endothelial function evaluation, including pulse wave velocity (PWV) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and blood sample detection. Moreover, the effect of NP on endothelial cells (ECs) in anoxic environments was assessed in vitro. RESULTS: Endothelial function was significantly decreased in the COPD and ACO patients compared with that in the healthy controls (P < 0.05). Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was negatively correlated with PWV and positively correlated with FMD (P < 0.05). NP was significantly increased in patients with chronic respiratory diseases compared with that in the control group, with COPD being the highest, followed by asthma, and ACO as the last (P < 0.05). The plasma level of NP exhibited negative correlations with FEV1 and positive correlations with PWV (P < 0.05). In vitro, a high level of NP increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) of ECs dose-dependently in a hypoxic environment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: NP was related to disease severity of chronic airway diseases and involved in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction. A high NP level may contribute to endothelial dysfunction by increasing the oxidative stress of ECs dose-dependently in a hypoxic environment. Our findings may provide a novel evaluation and therapeutic target for endothelial dysfunction related to chronic airway diseases.

Case Report: CD19 and CD20 monoclonal antibodies with sequential chemotherapy for refractory acute B-lymphocytic leukemia in children.

Objective: This paper observes the efficacy of chemotherapy combined with CD19 and CD20 monoclonal antibodies in clearing minimal residual disease (MRD) and bridging transplantation for refractory acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in children and reviews the literature. Methods: A 4-year-old boy diagnosed with B-ALL in our hospital was treated with the SCCLG-ALL-2016 protocol. MRD and gene quantification decreased after induction but remained persistently positive, with poor efficacy. After this patient received three cycles of consolidation chemotherapy combined with blinatumomab and rituximab, MRD and fusion gene quantification became negative, and he received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Results: During the use of monoclonal antibodies, neurotoxicity, CRS, or other side effects did not occur. Before transplantation, MRD became negative, and the bone marrow had been in complete remission since transplantation (13 months). Conclusion: Chemotherapy combined with blinatumomab for refractory B-ALL in children can bring a better remission rate for patients and is a means of bridging transplantation. Nevertheless, sequential CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy is the first report , and no adverse effects were observed in our case. It is well tolerated and can be used as one of the treatments for refractory B-ALL.

Dopamine inhibits group 2 innate lymphoid cell-driven allergic lung inflammation by dampening mitochondrial activity.

Neuronal signals have emerged as pivotal regulators of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) that regulate tissue homeostasis and allergic inflammation. The molecular pathways underlying the neuronal regulation of ILC2 responses in lungs remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we found that the abundance of neurotransmitter dopamine was negatively correlated with circulating ILC2 numbers and positively associated with pulmonary function in humans. Dopamine potently suppressed lung ILC2 responses in a DRD1-receptor-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of Drd1 or local ablation of dopaminergic neurons augmented ILC2 responses and allergic lung inflammation. Transcriptome and metabolic analyses revealed that dopamine impaired the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway in ILC2s. Augmentation of OXPHOS activity with oltipraz antagonized the inhibitory effect of dopamine. Local administration of dopamine alleviated allergen-induced ILC2 responses and airway inflammation. These findings demonstrate that dopamine represents an inhibitory regulator of ILC2 responses in allergic airway inflammation.

Sialic Acid as a Suitable Marker of Clinical Disease Activity in Patients with Crohn's Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Elevated serum levels of sialic acid (SA) have been verified in patients with various inflammatory conditions. The association between the Crohn's disease (CD) activity and serum SA has been insufficiently studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum SA concentrations were determined using an enzymatic colorimetric assay method, and the correlation of SA with the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) and other inflammation activity markers was evaluated using the Spearman correlation. The predictive value of SA in estimating CD disease activity was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic. RESULTS: The SA levels were positively correlated with HBI and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The correlation of SA with the HBI was superior to that of CRP with the HBI. The area under the curve for SA was higher than that for CRP, with an optimal cutoff value of 53.14 mg/dL for active CD. CONCLUSION: Serum SA correlates with the HBI score better and has better predictive value in monitoring CD disease activity than CRP or other inflammatory markers.

Lipotoxicity-induced circGlis3 impairs beta cell function and is transmitted by exosomes to promote islet endothelial cell dysfunction.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Lipotoxicity constitutes the major driving force for type 2 diabetes. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in regulating beta cell function and exosomes are essential mediators of intercellular communication. The role of exosomal circRNAs in type 2 diabetes remains largely unknown. We aimed to examine whether lipotoxicity induces dysregulation of circRNAs in beta cell-derived exosomes and to determine the contribution of exosomal circRNAs to the development of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Exosomes were extracted from MIN6 cells treated with palmitate or BSA, and RNA sequencing was performed. CircGlis3 (Gli-similar 3) expression level was validated by qPCR. The impact of circGlis3 on beta cell function and the deleterious effects of exosomal circGlis3 on islet endothelial cells (islet ECs) were investigated in vitro and in vivo in human and mouse models by gain or loss of function assays. The molecular mechanism of circGlis3 was explored by RNA pull-down and immunoprecipitation assays. RESULTS: Beta cell-derived exosomal circGlis3 was significantly upregulated under lipotoxic conditions, and exosomal circGlis3 levels were also elevated in the serum of mouse models of diabetes and participants with type 2 diabetes. CircGlis3 participated in lipotoxicity-induced beta cell dysfunction in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, beta cell-derived exosomal circGlis3 could be transferred to islet ECs and reduce the cell viability, cell migration and angiogenesis of islet ECs. Mechanistically, circGlis3 promoted the degradation of glucocorticoid modulatory element-binding protein 1 (GMEB1) by facilitating the interaction between GMEB1 and mindbomb E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (MIB2), thus suppressing the phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our study points to the involvement of circGlis3 in diabetes development, and exosomal circGlis3 transfer as a communication mode between beta cells and islet ECs, suggesting that circGlis3 might be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. DATA AVAILABILITY: The RNA-sequencing data have been deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) database, with accession number PRJNA689673. Mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD024693.

The detrimental qualitative and quantitative alterations of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with bronchiectasis.

BACKGROUND: Bronchiectasis is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease（CVD）and cardiac dysfunction. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a crucial role in maintaining endothelial function, and is inversely correlated with cardiovascular risk factors or cardiac dysfunction. However, the relationship between EPCs and bronchiectasis is unknown. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with stable bronchiectasis and 15 healthy controls were recruited. Fasting venous blood were collected for determining circulating EPC number and activity as well as systemic inflammatory cytokines. RESULTS: The number and migratory or proliferative activity of circulating EPCs in bronchiectasis patients were significantly reduced (p < 0.001). In high E-FACED group, the number of circulating EPCs evaluated by cell culture assay and EPC proliferation were decreased (p < 0.05). Similarly, the number and function of circulating EPCs were both reduced in low forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) or high mMRC group (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between circulating EPCs and bronchiectasis disease severity, according to the E-FACED score (p < 0.05), particularly to FEV1 (p < 0.05) and mMRC dyspnea score (p < 0.05). The count and activity of EPCs inversely correlated with hsCRP levels and IL-6 levels (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Deficiencies in the number and function of circulating EPCs are present in patients with bronchiectasis. The changes are related to disease severity and may be partly attributed to systemic inflammation. The current findings may provide novel surrogate evaluation biomarkers and potential therapeutic target for bronchiectasis.

A versatile UCST-type composite microsphere for image-guided chemoembolization and photothermal therapy against liver cancer.

The development of novel chemoembolization agents to improve the treatment efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) against liver cancer remains an urgent need in clinical practice. Herein, a versatile composite microsphere with upper critical solution temperature (UCST) properties was prepared to encapsulate polydopamine coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION@PDA) and doxorubicin for simultaneous chemoembolization and photothermal therapy. The microspheres were spherical with an average diameter of 100-300 µm and exhibited favorable drug loading capability as well as strong photothermal effect. Strikingly, synergistic enhancement of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy against chemoresistant liver cancer cells was achieved. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy and safety evaluations were performed using rabbit VX2 liver tumor models. It was revealed that a single treatment of the combination of TACE and photothermal procedure resulted in 87.5% complete response and 12.5% partial response for the microsphere group, whereas all tumors in the control group progressed rapidly. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) evaluation indicated that the tumor diameter decreased by 91.5% after treatment, while that in the control group increased by 86.5%. The pathology-proven tumor necrotic rate was 87.2%, which significantly surpassed that of 65.2% in the control group. Furthermore, serum liver enzyme and biochemical studies indicated a temporary liver injury which can be fully recovered. Our findings demonstrated that this microsphere may be advantageous for enhancing therapeutic efficacy of TACE against liver cancer.

High Efficiency and Problems of Chemiluminescence Assay-Detected Aldosterone-To-Renin Ratio in Practical Primary Aldosteronism Screening.

Primary aldosteronism is a main cause of secondary hypertension which can be effectively treated. The screening test for primary aldosteronism is benefit for minimizing damage to the patient. In the previous retrospective study, we obtained the optimal cutoff value of aldosterone-to-renin ratio detected by chemiluminescence assay, a newly developing method, and prompted its high efficiency in primary aldosteronism screening in upright position. In this study, we want to evaluate its efficiency in practical work. We used this ratio to continuously screen 238 patients, and 58 patients were finally diagnosed with primary aldosteronism. We found it had 86.13% accuracy rate in the upright position compared with the final clinical diagnosis. False negative and positive rates were 13.79% and 13.89%. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 86.21% and 86.11%, which are slightly different from results in our previous study. False negative rate can be improved by combining the aldosterone-to-renin ratio with aldosterone concentration. We also found impaired glucose tolerance may be a reason for high false positive rate. Besides, chemiluminescence assay may be interfered in aldosterone detection. Although it has some shortcomings, chemiluminescence assay-detected aldosterone-to-renin ratio is a highly effective index for screening primary aldosteronism in practice.

A Chromosomal Inversion of 46XX, inv (6) (p21.3p23) Connects to Congenital Heart Defects.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) represent the most common human birth defects. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common subtype of CHDs. It has been shown that about 20-40% of VSDs are closely related to chromosomal aneuploidies or Mendelian diseases. In this study, we report a pedigree with VSD associated with a balanced paracentric inversion of chromosome 6, inv (6)(p21.3p23), a rarely reported CHD-associated chromosomal abnormality related to the fragile site at 6p23. We have found that the major clinical features of the proband include CHDs (ventricular septal defect, severe pulmonary hypertension, tricuspid regurgitation, and patent foramen ovale), severe pneumonia, and growth retardation. Our study reports a rare chromosomal abnormality connected to CHDs, which may represent a new genetic etiology for VSD.

Critical Role of Intestinal Microbiota in ATF3-Mediated Gut Immune Homeostasis.

Secretory Ig A (sIgA) plays an important role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis via cross-talk with gut microbiota. The defects in sIgA production could elicit dysbiosis of commensal microbiota and subsequently facilitate the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Our previous study revealed activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) as an important regulator of follicular helper T (TFH) cells in gut. ATF3 deficiency in CD4+ T cells impaired the development of gut TFH cells, and therefore diminished sIgA production, which increased the susceptibility to murine colitis. However, the potential role of microbiota in ATF3-mediated gut homeostasis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we report that both Atf3-/- and CD4creAtf3fl/fl mice displayed profound dysbiosis of gut microbiota when compared with their littermate controls. The proinflammatory Prevotella taxa, especially Prevotella copri, were more abundant in ATF3-deficient mice when compared with littermate controls. This phenotype was obviously abrogated by adoptive transfer of either TFH cells or IgA+ B cells. Importantly, depletion of gut microbiota dramatically alleviated the severity of colitis in Atf3-/- mice, whereas transfer of microbiota from Atf3-/- mice to wild-type recipients increased their susceptibility to colitis. Collectively, these observations indicate the importance of IgA-microbiota interaction in ATF3-mediated gut homeostasis.

DECREASE IN ACROMEGALY-ASSOCIATED THYROID ENLARGEMENT AFTER NORMALIZATION OF IGF-1 LEVELS: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATION AND IN VITRO STUDY.

Objective: Goiter occurs at high frequency in acromegaly patients. Whether normalization of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels could decrease goiter and thyroid volume remains unclear. Methods: Thyroid hormone levels and ultrasound measurements were assessed in 101 acromegaly patients, compared with 108 patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) and 55 healthy controls. Thirty-four acromegaly patients underwent repeat evaluation 1 year post-transsphenoidal surgery. The effect of IGF-1 on thyroid cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis was evaluated in vitro. Results: Acromegaly patients showed larger thyroid volume than those with NFPAs (18.32 mL vs. 9.91 mL; P<.001) and healthy controls (18.32 mL vs. 9.63 mL; P<.001). Duration of acromegaly was shown to be independently associated with thyroid volume enlargement (B = 0.259; 95% confidence interval, 0.162 to 0.357) in multivariate analysis. At follow-up, the median thyroid volume decreased from 22.74 to 17.87 mL in the cured group (n = 20; P = .003), but the number of nodular goiters showed no significant change. Serum free thyroxine levels decreased from 13.76 to 10.08 pmol/L in the cured group (P = .006) but increased from 9.28 to 12.09 pmol/L in the active group (P = .013). Change in thyroid volume was significantly correlated with IGF-1 level (r = 0.37; P = .029). In vitro, IGF-1 time- and dose-dependently promoted proliferation and secretory function of thyroid cells by enhancing cell cycle shift from the G1/S to G2/M phase and suppressing apoptosis. Conclusion: Acromegaly-associated thyroid volume increase, but not nodular goiter, could be reversed in cured acromegaly. IGF-1 time- and dose-dependently promoted the proliferation and secretory function of thyroid cells. Abbreviations: CCK-8 = Cell Counting Kit-8; fT3 = free triiodothyronine; fT4 = free thyroxine; GH = growth hormone; IGF-1 = insulin-like growth factor 1; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; NFPA = nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma; qRT-PCR = quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction; TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Opportunistic invasive fungal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from Southern China: Clinical features and associated factors.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: A retrospective study was carried out to investigate the clinical characteristics and associated factors for invasive fungal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were recorded. Associated factors were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Invasive fungal disease was diagnosed in 120 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (prevalence, 0.4%). Yeast infection (56/120, 46.7%), including candidiasis (31/56, 55.4%) and cryptococcosis (25/56, 44.6%), was the most common. The urinary tract was mainly involved in candidiasis (12/31, 38.7%). More than half of the cryptococcosis (16/25, 64.0%) presented as pneumonia. Mold infection accounted for 40.8% of the cases, and predominantly involved the lung (34/49, 69.4%). A total of 15 (12.5%) patients had mixed fungal infection. Candida albicans (24/111, 21.6%), Cryptococcus neoformans (19/111, 17.1%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (14/111, 12.6%) were the leading agents. Co-infection occurred in 58 (48.3%) patients, mainly presenting as pneumonia caused by Gram-negative bacteria. The inpatient mortality rate of invasive fungal disease was 23.3% (28/120). Glycated hemoglobin levels were higher in non-survivors than survivors (8.8 ± 2.5 vs 7.7 ± 2.1%, P = 0.02). Anemia (adjusted odds ratio, 3.50, 95% confidence interval 1.95-6.27, P < 0.001), hypoalbuminemia (adjusted odds ratio, 5.42, 95% confidence interval 3.14-9.36, P < 0.001) and elevated serum creatinine (adjusted odds ratio, 2.08, 95% confidence interval 1.07-4.04, P = 0.03) were associated with invasive fungal disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. CONCLUSIONS: Invasive fungal disease is a life-threatening complication in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. C. a albicans, C. neoformans, and A. fumigatus are the leading agents. Prolonged hyperglycemia results in unfavorable outcomes. Correction of anemia and hypoalbuminemia might improve prognosis.

Evaluation of the thyroid characteristics of patients with growth hormone-secreting adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Acromegaly is highly associated with thyroid disorders. However, the clinical characteristics of thyroid nodules in individuals with acromegaly who present with thyroid diseases have not been completely elucidated. METHODS: Overall, 134 consecutive participants with growth hormone (GH)-secreting adenoma (n = 67) and non-functioning (NF) pituitary adenoma (n = 67) were recruited from the outpatient and inpatient patient department of The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University from August 2015 to August 2017. Thyroid ultrasonography was performed using an ultrasound system. The cytopathological results of fine-needle aspiration biopsy were analyzed by a pathologist according to the Bethesda system. Twenty-one patients with GH-secreting adenoma and thyroid disease underwent transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection and were followed up for 1 year. RESULTS: The prevalence of thyroid disease increased in the GH-secreting adenoma group compared with that in the NF pituitary adenoma group. The number of hypoechoic, isoechogenic, heterogeneous, and vascular thyroid nodules increased in patients with GH-secreting adenoma plus thyroid disease compared with that in patients with NF pituitary adenoma plus thyroid disease. Finally, we found significant decreases in the morphology of solid nodules and significant increases in the morphology of cystic nodules after surgery compared with those before surgery in the cured group. Moreover, the numbers of heterogeneous and vascular thyroid nodules decreased significantly after surgery compared with those before surgery in the cured group. However, the characteristics of the thyroid nodules did not change after surgery compared with those before surgery in the non-cured group. CONCLUSIONS: The numbers of hypoechoic, isoechoic, heterogeneous, and vascular thyroid nodules increased in patients with GH-secreting adenomas. In these patients, surgery resulted in significant changes from solid to cystic nodules and also reduced the numbers of heterogeneous and vascular thyroid nodules.

Clinical value of interferon-γ release assay in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis.

Sensitivity and specificity of the interferon-γ release test for active tuberculosis screening were evaluated. Due to the high-test cost of imported IGRAs, QFT-GIT and T-SPOT.TB, we applied a cheaper domestic TB-IGRA which was approved in China recently. We recruited 740 patients and performed tuberculosis interferon release test (IGRAs), detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis IgG antibody (TB-IgG) and tuberculin skin test (TST). The sensitivity of the three methods are 90.8, 40.0 and 75.45%, with specificity of 76.62, 74.47 and 72.27%. The area under the ROC curve according to the value of T-N detected by IGRAs was 0.878 (95% CI, 0.839-0.917), with the area under the curve for the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis being 0.839 and 0.841 respectively. The interferon-γ release test seems to be superior to TST and TB-IgG as a screening tool for the detection of active tuberculosis in China.

Validation of Prognosis Value of Cumulative Prognostic Scores Based on Serum High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Albumin Levels in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Aims: Noninvasive tools for the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) are in urgent need. Lipids and proteins have been studied in CRC several years, thus a prognostic indicator based on preoperative serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum albumin (ALB) levels (HA score) in CRC patients and to compare the correlation with survival to that of the Glasgow prognostic score. Patient and methods: In the present study, the patient characteristics, clinicopathological factors, and the level of pre-treatment serum markers (HDL-C, ALB, CEA and CA19-9) were analyzed retrospectively in 248 patients with CRC. Results: In HA score, patients with reduced HDL-C and decreased ALB levels were allocated a score of 2, those with only one of these abnormalities were assign as score 1, and those with neither of these abnormalities were allocated a score of 0. The cut-off value of HDL-C and ALB were defined as median. Among these, the distribution of the HA score were 66 patients of score 2 (26.61%), 112 patients of score 1 (45.16%), and 70 patients of score 0(28.23%). The prognostic significance of the HA score was then determined by Univariate and multivariate cox hazards in CRC. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, metastasis, TNM stage, CEA, CA19-9, HA score and GPS had a significant association with the OS and DFS of CRC, furthermore HA score (P<0.001, P<0.001) TNM stage(P<0.001, P<0.001) were retained as the prognostic factors that were associated with OS and DFS according to multivariate analyses. Conclusions: These results suggest that the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were shorter in CRC patients with a high level of HA score. Thus, our study has proposed that the evaluation of preoperative serum HA score may be used to predict OS and DFS of CRC.

High efficiency of the aldosterone-to-renin ratio in precisely detecting primary aldosteronism.

The aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) is extensively used for primary aldosteronism detection. Chemiluminescence immune assay (CLIA) is newly applied in aldosterone and renin detection for calculating the aldosterone-to-renin ratio. The performance of new ARR in aldosteronism detection is poorly evaluated. We aim to estimate the diagnostic value of this new aldosterone-to-renin ratio by highly standardized and clinically based protocol. Four hundred and forty-two patients were enrolled in our retrospective study. They went to the first affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University with difficult-to-control hypertension. Primary aldosteronism diagnosis was based on clinical criteria, including a saline infusion test and other necessary inspections. ARR was calculated from plasma aldosterone and renin measured by CLIA. The cutoff value was determined and the diagnostic value was evaluated. The cutoff value of ARR for primary aldosteronism diagnosis was 28.3, with a sensitivity of 87.6%, specificity of 100%, negative-predictive value of 96.4%, and positive-predictive value of 100%. Then, we found that Age was weakly correlated with ARR. The cutoff values of ARR for primary aldosteronism diagnosis in 26-45-, 46-65-, and 66-85-year-old patients were, respectively, 29.45, 27.95, and 28.4, with sensitivities of 87.5%, 87.7%, and 87.5%, specificities of 100% for all, negative-predictive values of 97.7%, 94.3%, and 96.3%, and positive-predictive values of 100% for all. ARR generated by CLIA is a good diagnostic test for primary aldosteronism without making a false-positive diagnosis. Although ARR is correlated with age, ARR cutoff values for different ages are not more efficient than that for total sample in primary aldosteronism diagnosis.

Arterial stiffness is associated with target organ damage in subjects with pre-hypertension.

INTRODUCTION: Present study was to evaluate whether increased arterial stiffness was associated with target organ damage in pre-hypertensive subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pre-hypertensive subjects enrolled and echocardiography was used to evaluate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the first morning urine was collected to evaluate albumin and creatinine ratio (ALB/Cr ratio). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) was measured. RESULTS: A total of 420 subjects were recruited and mean age was 42.6 years. Mean systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) were 130 ±9 mm Hg and 85 ±4 mm Hg. The prevalence of albuminuria and left ventricular hypertrophy was 8.6 % and 11.7 %. Mean cf-PWV was 9.2 ±1.0 m/s, with arterial stiffness prevalence was 8.8%. Subjects with arterial stiffness had higher cf-PWV value (10.6 ±0.4 m/s vs. 8.7 ±0.6 m/s, p < 0.05), and ALB/Cr ratio (28.3 ±13.2 µg/mg vs. 23.1 ± 11.4 µg/mg, p < 0.05). Overall, with multivariate regression analysis, aging and arterial stiffness were significantly associated with pre-hypertension. With stepwise adjusted for potential covariates including age, male gender, fasting plasma glucose, presence of current cigarette smoking, dyslipidemia, statins and SBP, increased cf-PWV remained independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and albuminuria, with an increased odds of 41 % and 24 % (p < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In pre-hypertensive subjects, arterial stiffness is independently associated with LVH and albuminuria and cf-PWV may be a useful marker to identify target organ damage in pre-hypertensive subjects.