New FIB-4 and NFS cutoffs to guide sequential non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis by magnetic resonance elastography in NAFLD.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Liver fibrosis is an important prognosis marker in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Biopsy has been considered the gold-standard method for measuring liver fibrosis; however, it is an invasive procedure. Non-invasive diagnostic tools have been developed, such as clinical scores and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), which is the most accurate non-invasive method to determine liver fibrosis. Thus, the aim was to determine the NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) and the Fibrosis-4 Score (FIB-4) cut-off points that best identify NAFLD patients at risk for developing liver fibrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Single-center cross-sectional study with prospective recruitment of NAFLD (training-cohort) and MAFLD (validation-cohort) patients undergoing MRE. The NFS and the FIB-4 cut-off points that best-differentiated patients with fibrosis, using the MRE as the standard method, were determined. RESULTS: Two cohorts were analyzed, a training cohort that included the initial 183 patients with NAFLD and a validation cohort that included 289 patients. In the training cohort, 60.1% had mild steatosis and 11.5% had liver fibrosis ≥ F1 by MRE. ROC curves were developed for FIB-4 and NFS, and the cut-off points chosen were 1.505 (sensitivity=85% and specificity=86%) for FIB-4 and -0.835 (sensitivity=100% and specificity=70%) for NFS, showing greater specificity than the cut-off points currently used (51% and 76%, respectively). The two cohorts exhibited similar characteristics and similar sensitivity and specificity results for the chosen cut-off points. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown cut-off points with greater specificity and excellent sensitivity to guide the indication for further liver evaluation by MRE in NAFLD patients.

Ornithine Aspartate and Vitamin-E Combination Has Beneficial Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Animal Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the main cause of death in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a clinical condition without any approved pharmacological therapy. Thus, we investigated the effects of ornithine aspartate (LOLA) and/or Vitamin E (VitE) on CV parameters in a steatohepatitis experimental model. Adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned (10 animals each) and treated from 16 to 28 weeks with gavage as follows: controls (standard diet plus distilled water (DW)), NAFLD (high-fat choline-deficient diet (HFCD) plus DW), NAFLD+LOLA (HFCD plus LOLA (200 mg/kg/day)), NAFLD+VitE (HFCD plus VitE (150 mg twice a week)) or NAFLD+LOLA+VitE in the same doses. Atherogenic ratios were higher in NAFLD when compared with NAFLD+LOLA+VitE and controls (p < 0.05). Serum concentration of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, e-selectin, ICAM-1, and PAI-1 were not different in intervention groups and controls (p > 0.05). NAFLD+LOLA decreased miR-122, miR-33a, and miR-186 (p < 0.05, for all) in relation to NAFLD. NAFLD+LOLA+VitE decreased miR-122, miR-33a and miR-186, and increased miR-126 (p < 0.05, for all) in comparison to NAFLD and NAFLD+VitE. NAFLD+LOLA and NAFLD+LOLA+VitE prevented liver collagen deposition (p = 0.006) in comparison to NAFLD. Normal cardiac fibers (size and shape) were lower in NAFLD in relation to the others; and the inverse was reported for the percentage of regular hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. NAFLD+LOLA+VitE promoted a significant improvement in atherogenic dyslipidemia, liver fibrosis, and paracrine signaling of lipid metabolism and endothelial dysfunction. This association should be further explored in the treatment of NAFLD-associated CV risk factors.

Loss of macronutrients (N, P, K) in the hydrographic basin of the River Ivaí, an affluent of the River Paraná

Neste estudo foram analisadas algumas variáveis ambientais que influenciam a perda de macronutrientes (N, P e K) na bacia hidrográfica do rio Ivaí, afluente do rio Paraná. As amostras compostas de água foram coletadas mensalmente, em 5 dias consecutivos, durante um ano. No ato da coleta foram medidos, o pH, a temperatura, o O2(dissolvido) e os níveis fluviométricos. O N total foi determinado pelo método de Kjeldahl. Após a digestão das amostras com redução de volume foram determinados, o P total, pelo método espectrofotométrico do UV-Vis com ácido ascórbico e o K total pela técnica da espectrometria da absorção atômica. O DQO foi determinado pelo método da oxidação da matéria orgânica pelo K2Cr2O7, em excesso, em ácido sulfúrico concentrado. Em termos de intervalos das médias mensais, média global, os resultados experimentais foram os seguintes, em mg L-1: N (0,32-3,22 e 1,65); K (0,73-2,69 e 1,38); P (não detectado-0,39 e 0,076); COD (0,21-36,0 e 12,8); O2(diss) (1,89-8,40 e 5,43); e, temperatura (0C) (16,0-30,8 e 24,6); pH (5,18-8,50 e 7,15). A análise estatística dos dados mostrou que a quantidade de cada macronutriente levada pelas águas do rio Ivaí é diretamente correlacionada aos níveis fluviométricos do rio, em nível de 5% de confiança. As quantidades perdidas em t a-1 foram: N = 25.136,0; K = 21,010,0 e P = 1,161,2, respectivamente.

Emergência e absorção de cobre por plantas de milho (Zea mays) em resposta ao tratamento de sementes com cobre / Emergence and copper absortion by corn plant (Zea mays) replying the seed treatment with copper

Para determinar a dose máxima de cobre que pode ser aplicada às sementes de milho sem provocar danos à emergência, realizou-se um experimento, em condição de casa de vegetação, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, um teste de emergência. As sementes de milho foram tratadas com uma solução de sulfato de cobre nas dosagens de: 0,00; 1,00; 2,00; 4,00 e 6,00g de cobre por kg de sementes. A aplicação de cobre nas sementes de milho prejudicou a emergência das mesmas e a dose de 5,09g de cobre por kg de sementes foi a que mais influenciou negativamente nesta variável. A partir do tratamento com 4,00g de cobre por kg de sementes, sintomas de toxicidade foram observados sem afetar a massa seca das plantas.

Determinaçäo do cádmio em materiais consumidos pelo ser humano / Determination of cadmium in materials consumed by human

With the Dithizon espectrophotometric method, the concentration of cadmium in materials consumed by mankind were determined. The sample were collected by about Maringá. The materials analysed were: water, rice, bean, corn, wheat, soybean, lettuce, coffe, several kinds of tobacco and tea. the cadmium found in water and food samples is below the critic levels suggested by the National regulation. The concentration of cadmium in almost all of the tobacco samples are in the level of 1.35 pp,