Erectile function in men with end-stage liver disease improves after living donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Impaired liver function in men can result in erectile dysfunction or hypogonadism or both. We investigated whether living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) results in improvement in male sexual function. METHODS: A total of 58 patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) were included in this prospective, cross-sectional study. Erectile function was measured before and after LDLT using a five-item modified version of the International Index of Erectile Function scale (IIEF-5) and hypogonadism was evaluated before and after LDLT using the Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) questionnaire. Differences in mean values from the questionnaires before and after the operation were than evaluated to determine whether there is an association between LDLT and improvement in sexual function. RESULTS: We found that mean IIEF-5 scores significantly increased after LDLT (from 11.7 ± 7.7 before LDLT to 14.7 ± 7.5 after LDLT, p < 0.01), indicating that the operation played a role in improving erectile function. In addition, the prevalence of hypogonadism among the patients with ESLD decreased markedly after liver transplantation (hypogonadism before LDLT, n = 41 versus hypogonadism after LDLT, n = 31, p = 0.03). Patients with hypogonadism reported a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction after LDLT than patients without hypogonadism (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LDLT results in improvement in erectile function. In addition, improvement in erectile function is associated with self-reported absence of hypogonadism.

Impact of frailty on perioperative outcomes following percutaneous nephrolithotomy in older persons: evidence from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

To evaluate the impact of frailty on perioperative outcomes of older patients undergoing PCNL, utilizing the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Data of hospitalized patients ≥ 60 years who received PCNL were extracted from the 2010 to 2020 NIS database, and included demographics, clinical, and hospital-related information. Patients were assigned to low (< 5), medium (5-15), and high frailty risk (> 15) groups based on the hospital frailty risk score (HFRS). Associations between frailty risk and perioperative outcomes including total hospital cost were determined using population-weighted linear and logistic regression analyses. Data of 30,829 hospitalized patients were analyzed (mean age 72.5 years; 55% male; 78% white). Multivariable analyses revealed that compared to low frailty risk, increased frailty risk was significantly associated with elevated in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 10.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.38-18.62), higher incidence of unfavorable discharge (aOR = 5.09, 95% CI: 4.43-5.86), prolonged hospital length of stay (LOS; aOR = 7.67, 95% CI: 6.38-9.22), increased transfusion risk (aOR = 8.05, 95% CI: 6.55-9.90), increased total hospital costs (adjusted Beta = 37.61, 95% CI: 36.39-38.83), and greater risk of complications (aOR = 8.52, 95% CI: 7.69-9.45). Frailty is a significant prognostic indicator of adverse perioperative outcomes in older patients undergoing PCNL, underscoring importance of recognizing and managing frailty in older patients.

Quantitative determination of uric acid using paper-based biosensor modified with graphene oxide and 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol.

Uric acid is the primary end product of human purine metabolism and has been regarded as a key parameter in urine and blood for monitoring physiological conditions. This paper presents a paper-based biosensor for a quantitative determination of uric acid using electrochemical detection. The working electrode of the biosensor is modified with graphene oxide (GO) and 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol (ATT) by electropolymerizing ATT on the surface of graphene oxide. In this study, cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements required only 200 µL of analyte solution. The experimental results showed that the oxidation peak current increased as the concentration of uric acid become higher and exhibited a linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.1-10 mM, indicating that this proposed biosensor has high sensitivity. In addition, this biosensor has good selectivity to detect uric acid because ATT has a specific binding with it. In human blood and body fluids, nitrites may be the only factor that can interfere with the detection of uric acid using this proposed biosensor. Nevertheless, uric acid can be discriminated from nitrite in the CV measurement due to different oxidation potentials. Thus, this proposed paper-based biosensor is a promising tool for detecting uric acid in biological samples.

Assessing men with erectile dysfunction before and after living donor liver transplantation in real-world practice: Integrating laboratories into clinical settings.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive role of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score concerning changes in testosterone levels following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and the effects of LDLT on total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels, the free androgen index (FAI) and erectile function in LDLT recipients. PARTICIPANTS: 41 adult male recipients of LDLT were evaluated before transplantation and six months after LDLT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We evaluated the effects of LDLT on total testosterone and SHBG levels, the FAI and erectile function in LDLT recipients. In this prospective study, MELD score, serum total testosterone, SHBG levels and FAI were measured in the morning of the operation day and 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after LDLT. The 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire was administered before LDLT and six months after LDLT to evaluate erectile function. RESULTS: The main outcome measure was dynamic parameter changes of total testosterone, SHBG, FAI and erectile dysfunction. The mean FAI value before LDLT was 16.75±10.10. The mean FAI was significantly higher 1 month (32.75±15.56; p < 0.01), 3 months (25.23±10.26; p < 0.01) and 6 months (29.16±11.05; p < 0.01) after LDLT. Mean IIEF-5 scores significantly increased after LDLT (from 11.7±7.7 before LDLT to 14.7±7.5, p< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MELD score correlates with severity of hypogonadism in men with end-stage liver disease. LDLT results in a reduction in serum levels of SHBG, an increase in FAI and improvement in erectile function.