Serum levels of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) are independently associated with procollagen III N-terminal peptide levels in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objectives

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a glycoprotein that belongs to the superfamily of serine protease inhibitors with complex anti-oxidative, anti-fibrotic, and anti-inflammatory properties, thus being involved in cardiometabolic disorders. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome as well. However, the pathophysiological role of PEDF in NAFLD remains largely unknown. We studied here the relationship between serum PEDF levels and various clinical markers of NAFLD in humans.

Design and methods

The study involved 194 biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (102 male and 92 female) with a mean age of 51.3 ± 13.8 years. We examined which anthropometric, metabolic and inflammatory variables, and liver steatosis and fibrosis markers are independently associated with serum levels of PEDF.

Results

Mean serum levels of PEDF were 16.4 ± 5.7 μg/mL. Univariate analysis revealed that age (inversely), male, body mass index, waist circumference, numbers of white blood cells and platelets, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, uric acid, procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (P-III-P), subcutaneous fat areas, visceral fat areas and liver to spleen density ratio in computed tomography, the presence of diabetes and medication for hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with serum levels of PEDF. In multiple stepwise regression analysis, age (p < 0.01, inversely), male (p < 0.05), waist circumference (p < 0.01), white blood cell number (p < 0.05), P-III-P (p < 0.05), and the presence of diabetes (p < 0.05) and medication for hyperlipidemia (p < 0.01), were independently correlated to serum levels of PEDF (R² = 0.285).

Conclusions

The present study reveals that serum levels of PEDF are independently associated with P-III-P levels, suggesting that PEDF level is a novel biomarker of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.     

空腹血糖联合糖化血红蛋白检测对糖尿病筛查的临床意义

目的评价联合应用空腹血糖和糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)检测对糖尿病筛查的临床价值。方法对8669名特定人群,同时进行空腹血糖和糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)检测,所得数据进行对比分析。结果单独以空腹血糖大于等于6.1mmol/L筛查出的糖尿病风险人群为743人,占总检测人数的8.6%;单独以糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)大于等于6%筛查出的糖尿病风险人群为627人,占总检测人数的7.2%;联合两种检测进行筛查,以两个指标中任何一个超过切点的都筛出来,可筛查出943人,风险筛出率为10.9%;通过统计学分析,差异有统计学意义(P﹤0.01)。结论空腹血糖或糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)单个指标进行糖尿病风险筛查,都会有一部分可疑人群无法筛出,二者联合应用,可以筛查出更多处于糖尿病风险的可疑人群。     

空腹血糖与心血管危险因素关系的研究

目的研究空腹血糖(FPG)与心血管危险因素的关系。方法将195例健康体检人员根据FPG水平分为3组,A组65例,FPG<5.6 mmol/L;B组64例,FPG<6.1 mmol/L;C组66例,FPG<7.0 mmol/L。检测各组FPG、空腹胰岛素、血脂、血尿酸(UA)、瘦素(LEP)等,并进行分析。结果 B组的UA、HOMA-IR、LEP水平显著高于A组,高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)水平显著低于A组(P<0.05),而各项指标与C组差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论随着FPG增高可出现胰岛素抵抗加重、血脂异常、UA增高及低度炎症反应,可增加糖尿病及心血管病的发病风险。     

Association of vitamin D status with metabolic syndrome and its components: A cross-sectional study in a population of high educated Iranian adults

Aim

We aimed to assess the association of vitamin D status with metabolic syndrome and its components among high educated Iranian adults.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and risk of type 2 diabetes: The Isfahan diabetes prevention study

Background

Studies reported that lipid-lowering treatment may increase the risk of diabetes, support the hypothesis that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) may be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Preclinical signs of liver and cardiac damage in youth with metabolically healthy obese phenotype

Background and aims

We aimed to evaluate whether the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype was associated with hepatic steatosis (HS) or left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in young people with overweight (OW), obesity (OB) and morbid obesity (MOB) and whether the prevalence of these comorbidities was affected by OB severity.

Neck circumference for predicting the occurrence of future cardiovascular events: A 7.6-year longitudinal study

Background & aimsThis study aimed to investigate whether neck circumference (NC) could be used to predict future cardiovascular (CV) events in a community-based Chinese cohort.Methods and resultsWe enrolled 1435 participants aged 50–80 years (men, 43.62%) from communities in Shanghai. High NC was defined as NC ≥ 38.5 cm in men and NC ≥ 34.5 cm in women. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression were performed to explore the association between NC and CV events. During a mean follow-up period of 7.6 years, 148 CV events (10.31%) occurred. The incidence of CV events was higher in men than in women (83 (13.26%) vs. 65 (8.03%), P = 0.002). Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analysis showed that for every 1-SD increase in NC in the whole population, the hazard ratio (HR) of CV events was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–1.83). The dose-response association between NC and CV events was significant in men (HR, 1.37, 95% CI, 1.10–1.71) but not in women (HR, 1.19, 95% CI, 0.94–1.52). In comparison with participants showing low baseline NC, those with high baseline NC showed a significantly higher risk of CV events (HR, 1.59, 95% CI, 1.14–2.22). Further stratified by sex, the positive association remained significant in men (HR, 1.90, 95% CI, 1.21–2.98) but not in women (HR, 1.25, 95% CI, 0.75–2.07).ConclusionNC was significantly associated with the risk of future CV events in middle-aged and elderly populations in the community and was a better predictor in men.     

Complication in diabetic nephropathy

BackgroundDiabetic kidney disease is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease, leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and premature death. In addition, it negatively affects a patient’s quality of life and social environment, and poses a burden on national health care budgets. Although various therapeutic approaches, such as hypoglycemic agents, antihypertensive drugs, and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, have been tried to slow the progression of nephropathy, the number of patients with diabetic kidney disease continues to rise with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, early identification of patients at risk of developing diabetic nephropathy and initiation of appropriate therapy is important to improve patient outcomes. In end stage renal disease (ESRD), diabetic nephropathy is the main cause considered from other diseases.     

非内分泌科室联合检测糖化血红蛋白与空腹血糖筛查高血糖方法的探讨

目的 探讨非内分泌科室联合检测HbA1c与FPG筛查高血糖的最佳方法. 方法 选取心内科和骨科新入院,且随机血糖≥7.0 mmol/L或FPG≥5.0mmol/L的非糖尿病患者,检测FPG、HbA1c、糖化血清蛋白（GA）,评估患者糖代谢状态. 结果 （1）心内科IGR、糖尿病和糖耐量正常（NGT）者分别为185例、178例、163名,骨科分别为116例、130例、107名.（2）75 g OGTT受试者工作特征曲线（ROC）显示,以FPG为诊断糖尿病切点,心内科为5.81 mmol/L,骨科为6.24 mmol/L;以HbA1 c为诊断切点,心内科为6.15％,骨科为5.75％;以GA为诊断切点,心内科为254.50μmol/L,骨科为250.89μmol/L.（3）FPG和HbA1c联合诊断价值与75 g OGTT比较有效性更高[曲线下面积（AUC＞0.8）]. 结论 HbA1c与FPG联合检测能进一步提高非内分泌科住院患者的高血糖筛查效率.