[Relationship of socioeconomic status and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: The medical records of Tianjin Third Central Hospital were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients who had been hospitalized for treatment of T2DM but without diagnosis of NAFLD between 2007 and 2012 and who had required a second hospitalization during this same period. Each patient was contacted by telephone for self-reporting of SES. Analysis was carried out with patients grouped according to SES (high vs. low) to determine association of SES with incidence of NAFLD at the second hospitalization; the relative risk (RR), attributable risk (AR) and attributable risk percent (ARP) were calculated. Furthermore, the correlation of SES with other clinical and socio-psychological variables was assessed. RESULTS: The patients in the high and low SES groups showed no significant differences at baseline. For development of NAFLD by the time of the second hospitalization, the low SES group had an RR of 2.19, an AR of 20.74%, and an ARP of 54.39%. Correlation analysis showed that SES was positively correlated with body mass index (r=-0.582) and levels of glycated hemoglobin (r=-0.421), fasting serum insulin (r=-0.570), insulin resistance (as assessed by the HOMA method) (r=-0.487), low-density lipopmtein (r=-0.396) and C-reactive protein (r=-0.353) (all P<0.05), and negatively correlated with high-density lipopmtein (r =0.539) and with the scores for physical functioning (r =0.241), general health (r=0.234), social functioning (r =0.286), emotional health (r=0.251), and mental health (r=0.215) (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: SES is an influencing factor of NAFLD in patients with T2DM and is closely related to obesity, insulin resistance, lipid metabolic disorder, chronic inflammation and life quality in patients with NAFLD and T2DM.

Impaired secretion of total glucagon-like peptide-1 in people with impaired fasting glucose combined impaired glucose tolerance.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the serum glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels for Chinese adults with pre-diabetes (PD) and newly-diagnosed diabetes mellitus (NDDM) during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The relationships between total GLP-1 level and islet ß cell function, insulin resistance (IR) and insulin sensitivity (IS) were also investigated. METHODS: A 75g glucose OGTT was given to 531 subjects. Based on the results, they were divided into groups of normal glucose tolerance (NGT), isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), IFG combined IGT (IFG+IGT) and NDDM. Total GLP-1 levels were measured at 0- and 2-hour during OGTT. Homeostasis model assessment of ß cell function (HOMA-ß), HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Gutt and Matsuda indexes were calculated. The relationships between GLP-1 level and ß cell function, IR and IS were analyzed. RESULTS: The levels of total fasting GLP-1 (FGLP-1), 2h GLP-1 (2hGLP-1) and 2hGLP-1 increments (∆GLP-1) following OGTT reduced significantly in IFG+IGT and NDDM groups (P<0.005). HOMA-ß , HOMA-IR, Gutt and Matsuda indexes demonstrated various patterns among NGT, isolated IFG, isolated IGT, IFG+IGT and NDDM groups (P<0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis and multivariable linear regression model suggested that some levels of correlation between GLP-1 levels, ∆GLP-1 and ß cell function, IR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The total GLP-1 levels and its response to glucose load decreased significantly in IFG+IGT group, compared to isolated IFG or IGT group. They were even similar to that of NDDM group. Moreover, there were observable correlations between impaired GLP-1 secretion and ß cell function, IR and IS.

Enhancement of Electrochemical Performance of LiFePO4@C by Ga Coating.

LiFePO4 (LFP) is one of the cathode materials widely used in lithium ion batteries at present, but its electronic conductivity is still unsatisfactory, which will affect its electrochemical performance. Ga-coated LiFePO4@C (LFP@C) samples were prepared by a hydrothermal method and ultrasonic dispersion technology. Ga has good electrical conductivity and can rapidly conduct electrons within the LFP cathode material under the synergistic effect with C coating, thus improving the dynamic performance of the LFP cathode material. The experimental results show that LFP@C/Ga samples exhibit good electrochemical performance. Compared with the pristine LFP@C, the 1.0 wt % Ga-coated LFP@C cathode exhibits excellent discharge capacity and cycle stability. The former shows a discharge capacity of 152.6 mA h g-1 at 1 C after 100 cycles and a discharge capacity retention rate of 98.77%, while pristine LFP@C shows only a discharge capacity of 114.5 mA h g-1 and a capacity retention rate of 95.84% after 100 cycles at 1 C current density.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Is a Risk Factor for the Development of Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is also associated with T2DM. However, little is known about the interaction between these conditions in patients with T2DM. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between NAFLD and DN in patients with T2DM. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients seen between January 2006 and July 2014.T2DM patients were divided into two groups based on NAFLD status (with NAFLD = group A; without = group B). The cumulative incidence of DN and chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging were compared between the two groups. Liver fat content was examined in some patients. Associations among NAFLD, other factors,and DN were analyzed by the additive interaction method. RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of DN in patients from group A (58.58%) was higher than in group B (37.22%) (P = 0.005). In both groups, the number of DN patients with CKD stage 1 was greater than the number of patients with stages 2-5. Increased liver fat content was associated with increased occurrence of severe and mild albuminuria and decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). There were positive correlations between NAFLD and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), free fatty acids (FFA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), omentin-1, visceral fat area, homocysteine (HCY), and serum uric acid (UA). CONCLUSION: NAFLD might be a risk factor for DN. Elevated liver fat content could be associated with higher DN burden.

Community-based population data indicates the significant alterations of insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and urine ACR in IFG combined IGT group among prediabetic population.

AIMS: To investigate alterations of insulin resistance (IR), chronic inflammation and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in Chinese community-based prediabetic population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 252 prediabetics [prediabetes (PD), including impaired fasting glucose (IFG), 91; impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), 123; IFG+IGT, 38] and 38 newly diagnosed-diabetics (NDDM) aged over 35 years older were screened from 2336 community individuals. 123 age and gender matched individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were selected as controls. Serum adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and urine ACR were determined, HOMA-IR and Gutt's index were calculated to evaluate IR and insulin sensitivity, respectively. RESULTS: The data displayed significant difference of serum adiponectin, IL-6, ACR and Gutt's index among PD, NDDM and NGT groups. Adiponectin level and Gutt's index decreased, but IL-6 level and ACR increased gradually among NGT, PD and NDDM groups (P<0.01). Unlike adiponectin and IL-6, ACR analysis indicates a gradual increase from NGT, IFG, IGT, IFG+IGT to NDDM individuals (P<0.01). Gutt's index showed significant difference between IFG and NDDM, IFG+IGT and NDDM (P<0.01), but HOMA-IR index did not. CONCLUSIONS: IR, chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction dose exist in prediabetic individuals, especially in IFG+IGT population. Gutt's index and ACR might seem to be more sensitive than adiponectin and HOMA-IR index as IR and chronic inflammation maker in prediabetic population.