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PeerJ 2024Recent studies suggest that gut microbiota composition, abundance and diversity can influence many chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Modulating gut microbiota... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Microbiota based personalized nutrition improves hyperglycaemia and hypertension parameters and reduces inflammation: a prospective, open label, controlled, randomized, comparative, proof of concept study.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies suggest that gut microbiota composition, abundance and diversity can influence many chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Modulating gut microbiota through targeted nutrition can provide beneficial effects leading to the concept of personalized nutrition for health improvement. In this prospective clinical trial, we evaluated the impact of a microbiome-based targeted personalized diet on hyperglycaemic and hyperlipidaemic individuals. Specifically, BugSpeaks-a microbiome profile test that profiles microbiota using next generation sequencing and provides personalized nutritional recommendation based on the individual microbiota profile was evaluated.
METHODS
A total of 30 participants with type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidaemia were recruited for this study. The microbiome profile of the 15 participants (test arm) was evaluated using whole genome shotgun metagenomics and personalized nutritional recommendations based on their microbiota profile were provided. The remaining 15 participants (control arm) were provided with diabetic nutritional guidance for 3 months. Clinical and anthropometric parameters such as HbA1c, systolic/diastolic pressure, c-reactive protein levels and microbiota composition were measured and compared during the study.
RESULTS
The test arm (microbiome-based nutrition) showed a statistically significant decrease in HbA1c level from 8.30 (95% confidence interval (CI), [7.74-8.85]) to 6.67 (95% CI [6.2-7.05]), < 0.001 after 90 days. The test arm also showed a 5% decline in the systolic pressure whereas the control arm showed a 7% increase. Incidentally, a sub-cohort of the test arm of patients with >130 mm Hg systolic pressure showed a statistically significant decrease of systolic pressure by 14%. Interestingly, CRP level was also found to drop by 19.5%. Alpha diversity measures showed a significant increase in Shannon diversity measure ( < 0.05), after the microbiome-based personalized dietary intervention. The intervention led to a minimum two-fold (Log2 fold change increase in species like and which might have a beneficial role in the current context and a similar decrease in species like and which have been earlier shown to have some negative effects in the host. Overall, the study indicated a net positive impact of the microbiota based personalized dietary regime on the gut microbiome and correlated clinical parameters.
Topics: Humans; Male; Hypertension; Female; Middle Aged; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Prospective Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Hyperglycemia; Precision Medicine; Inflammation; Proof of Concept Study; Glycated Hemoglobin; Aged; Hyperlipidemias; Adult; C-Reactive Protein
PubMed: 38948211
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17583 -
PeerJ 2024Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune syndrome characterized by arterial or venous thrombosis, pregnancy complications and thrombocytopenia. The aim...
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune syndrome characterized by arterial or venous thrombosis, pregnancy complications and thrombocytopenia. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between APS and atrial fibrillation (AF) among patients in Peking University People's Hospital. A single center retrospective study was conducted. Cases were hospitalized patients diagnosed with AF by a cardiologist while the control group patients did not exhibit cardiac diseases. The results of the study revealed that in multivariable logistic regression, APS, anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) positivity and anti-beta-2-glycoprotein antibody (anti-2GPI) positivity are independent risk factors of AF. APS, aCL positivity and anti- GPI positivity are statistically different between AF patients and non-AF patients. Forthcoming studies are needed to clarify the potential link between APS and AF.
Topics: Humans; Antiphospholipid Syndrome; Retrospective Studies; Female; Atrial Fibrillation; Male; Middle Aged; Case-Control Studies; Risk Factors; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; Adult; Aged; beta 2-Glycoprotein I; China
PubMed: 38948200
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17617 -
Journal of Inflammation Research 2024Oxidative stress promotes disease progression by stimulating the humoral and cellular immune responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying oxidative stress and...
PURPOSE
Oxidative stress promotes disease progression by stimulating the humoral and cellular immune responses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying oxidative stress and immune responses in acute pancreatitis (AP) have not been extensively studied.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We analyzed the GSE194331 dataset and oxidative stress-related genes (OSRGs). We identified differentially expressed immune cell-associated OSRGs (DE-ICA-OSRGs) by overlapping key module genes from weighted gene co-expression network analysis, OSRGs, and DEGs between AP and normal samples. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to investigate the functions of DE-ICA-OSRGs. We then filtered diagnostic genes using receiver operating characteristic curves and investigated their molecular mechanisms using single-gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). We also explored the correlation between diagnostic genes and differential immune cells. Finally, we constructed a transcription factor-microRNA-messenger RNA (TF-miRNA-mRNA) network of biomarkers.
RESULTS
In this study, three DE-ICA-OSRGs (ARG1, NME8 and VNN1) were filtered by overlapping key module genes, OSRGs and DEGs. Functional enrichment results revealed that DE-ICA-OSRGs were involved in the cellular response to reactive oxygen species and arginine biosynthesis. Latterly, a total of two diagnostic genes (ARG1 and VNN1) were derived and their expression was higher in the AP group than in the normal group. The single-gene GSEA enrichment results revealed that diagnostic genes were mainly enriched in macroautophagy and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Correlation analysis revealed that CD8 T cells, resting memory T CD4 cells, and resting NK cells were negatively correlated with ARG1, and neutrophils were positively correlated with ARG1, which was consistent with that of VNN1. The TF-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network included 11 miRNAs, 2 mRNAs, 10 transcription factors (TFs), and 26 pairs of regulatory relationships, like NFKB1-has-miR-2909-VNN1.
CONCLUSION
In this study, two immune cell oxidative stress-related AP diagnostic genes (ARG1 and VNN1) were screened to offer a new reference for the diagnosis of patients with AP.
PubMed: 38948197
DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S459044 -
Journal of Inflammation Research 2024Inflammation triggers atherosclerotic plaque rupture, leading to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Following AMI, peri-coronary adipose tissue (PCAT) undergoes a...
BACKGROUND
Inflammation triggers atherosclerotic plaque rupture, leading to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Following AMI, peri-coronary adipose tissue (PCAT) undergoes a transition from lipid-rich to hydrophilic characteristics due to vascular inflammation. This study investigates PCAT changes and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels during AMI.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
60 AMI patients undergoing coronary computed tomography angiography and angiography (Jan 2020-Jun 2022) were studied 60 age, gender, BMI-matched stable angina, and 60 non-coronary artery disease patients were included. Siemens VB20.0 measured PCAT-volume and fat attenuation index (FAI). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio levels were calculated by peripheral blood tests.
RESULTS
The PCAT volume and PCAT-FAI gradually increased across the control, stable angina, and AMI groups, with a corresponding gradual rise in NLR. NLR exhibited weak positive correlation with PCAT-FAI (r=0.35) and PCAT-volume (r=0.24). Multivariable logistic regression identified increased PCAT-volume, PCAT-FAI and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as possible independent AMI risk factors. No significant PCAT-volume difference was observed between infarct-related artery (IRA) and non-IRA for all three coronary arteries. Only PCAT-FAI around IRA-LAD was higher than non-IRA-LAD (-74.84±6.93 HU vs -79.04±8.68 HU). PCAT-FAI around culprit vessels in AMI was higher than corresponding lesion related vessel in SA. PCAT-volume around narrowed non-IRA in AMI was higher than that of corresponding LRV in SA. PCAT-FAI of narrowed non-IRA-LADs and non-IRA-LCXs in AMI were elevated compared to LADs (-78.46±8.56HU vs -83.13±8.34 HU) and LCXs (-73.83±10.63 HU vs -81.38±7.88 HU) of lesion related vessel in stable angina.
CONCLUSION
We found an association between AMI and inflammation in the coronary perivascular adipose tissue and systemic inflammatory response.
PubMed: 38948196
DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S465605 -
Journal of Inflammation Research 2024We aimed to explore changes in plasma and urine indole lactic acid (ILA) levels and the relationship between inflammation and ILA in chronic kidney disease (CKD)...
PURPOSE
We aimed to explore changes in plasma and urine indole lactic acid (ILA) levels and the relationship between inflammation and ILA in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and healthy people.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Forty-seven CKD patients and 30 healthy individuals were included in this study. One-way ANOVA was used for variables with normal distribution and homogeneous variance. A rank-sum test was performed for non-normally distributed variables. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson's or Spearman correlation analyses. Independent relationship between patients and CKD was analyzed using ordinal and binary logistic regressions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used.
RESULTS
Plasma and urine ILA levels were positively correlated (r = 0.51, < 0.01). Plasma ILA was positively correlated with BMI, age, creatinine, BUN, triglycerides, and uric acid and negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels. Urine ILA levels were positively correlated with age, creatinine, BUN, and uric acid and negatively correlated with hemoglobin and albumin levels. Ordered logistic regression analysis showed that CKD was significantly correlated with plasma ILA (OR=4.49, 0.01), urinary ILA (OR=2.14, 0.01), urea levels (OR=1.43, 0.01) and hemoglobin levels (OR=0.95, 0.01) were significantly related. ROC curves indicated that plasma and urinary ILA were reliable predictors of CKD. CKD was correlated with plasma, urine ILA (OR=5.92, 0.01; OR=2.79, 0.01) and Hs-CRP (OR=2.45, 0.01).
CONCLUSION
Plasma and urine ILA can potentially be used as biomarkers of CKD and inflammatory status.
PubMed: 38948195
DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S458881 -
Imaging Science in Dentistry Jun 2024Non-secretory multiple myeloma (NSMM) is a rare cancer of plasma cells characterized by the absence of detectable monoclonal M protein in the blood or urine. A...
Non-secretory multiple myeloma (NSMM) is a rare cancer of plasma cells characterized by the absence of detectable monoclonal M protein in the blood or urine. A 57-year-old woman presented with mandibular pain but without intraoral swelling. Imaging studies revealed multiple osteolytic lesions in her mandible and pronounced root resorption of the left mandibular second molar. Biopsy results showed atypical plasmacytoid cells positive for anti-kappa, CD138, MUM1, and CD79a antibodies, but negative for anti-lambda and CD20. These results were indicative of a malignant plasma cell neoplasm. No abnormalities were revealed by free light chain assay or by serum or urine protein electrophoresis, leading to a diagnosis of NSMM. The patient began chemotherapy in conjunction with bisphosphonate therapy and achieved remission following treatment. This case underscores the critical role of dentists in the early detection and prevention of NSMM complications, as the disease can initially present in the oral cavity.
PubMed: 38948192
DOI: 10.5624/isd.20230257 -
Clinical Interventions in Aging 2024Serum trace elements and oxidative stress factors are related to diabetic microvascular complications. The study was to investigate the complex relationship between...
Malondialdehyde and Zinc May Relate to Severity of Microvascular Complications in Diabetes: A Preliminary Study on Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Northeast China.
BACKGROUND
Serum trace elements and oxidative stress factors are related to diabetic microvascular complications. The study was to investigate the complex relationship between trace elements, oxidative stress factors, and the severity of microvascular complications of diabetes in older adults.
METHODS
The present study included patients with or without type 2 diabetes, and blood glucose, blood lipids, trace elements (iron, magnesium, zinc), oxidative stress factors (malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC)) were evaluated. Risk factors for the severity of diabetic microvascular complications in older adults with diabetes were also estimated.
RESULTS
There were statistically significant differences in fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), glycated hemoglobin (HbAlc), MDA, NO, SOD, T-AOC, magnesium, and zinc between the two groups (). Iron (r = 0.147, r = 0.180, r = 0.193, ) was positively correlated with zinc, SOD and T-AOC. Iron was negatively correlated with MDA (r = -0.146, ). Magnesium was positively correlated with SOD (r = 0.147, ). Zinc (r = 0.616, r = 0.575, ) was positively correlated with SOD and T-AOC. Zinc (r =-0.636, r=-0.616, ) was positively correlated with MDA and negatively correlated with NO. The course of disease (18.653, [5.726; 60.764], ), FBG (1.265, [1.059; 1.511], ), HbAlc (1.545, [1.431; 1.680], P <0.01), MDA (2.989, [1.900; 4.702], ) were risk factor for the severity of diabetic microvascular complications. Zinc (0.680, [0.503; 0.919], ) and SOD (0.820, [0.698; 0.964], ) were protective factors for the severity of diabetic microvascular complications.
CONCLUSION
Serum trace elements are related to oxidative stress levels in older adults with type 2 diabetes. The more stable trace element in older adults with diabetes, the lower the oxidative stress and the fewer microvascular complications of diabetes.
Topics: Humans; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Male; Female; Aged; Zinc; China; Oxidative Stress; Malondialdehyde; Superoxide Dismutase; Middle Aged; Blood Glucose; Risk Factors; Diabetic Angiopathies; Glycated Hemoglobin; Nitric Oxide; Antioxidants; Magnesium; Lipids; Trace Elements; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 38948168
DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S464615 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2024Vestibular migraine (VM), an intricate subtype of migraine, amalgamates the dual attributes of migraine and vestibular disorders. In clinical settings, individuals with...
BACKGROUND
Vestibular migraine (VM), an intricate subtype of migraine, amalgamates the dual attributes of migraine and vestibular disorders. In clinical settings, individuals with VM frequently articulate concerns regarding the manifestation of subjective cognitive impairment. This cognitive dysfunction is intricately linked with diminished mobility, heightened susceptibility to falls, and increased absenteeism in afflicted patients. Consequently, comprehending the features of cognitive impairment in VM patients holds potential clinical significance. The pursuit of rapid and objective methods for detection and assessment is foundational and prerequisite for efficacious cognitive management of VM patients.
METHODS
The study encompassed 50 patients diagnosed with vestibular migraine and recruited 50 age-sex matched healthy controls. All participants underwent anti-saccade tasks, and cognitive evaluation was performed using the MMSE and MoCA to assess overall cognitive function. Additionally, RBANS scales were employed to measure specific cognitive domains.
RESULTS
The VM patients and normal controls demonstrated statistical parity in terms of age, gender, education, weight, and BMI, with no significant differences observed. Analysis of cognitive scores divulged a marked increase in the incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in VM patients compared to Healthy Controls (HCs). Both MMSE and MoCA scores were notably lower in VM patients compared to their healthy counterparts. The RBANS cognitive test indicated significant impairment in immediate memory, visuospatial construction, language, attention, and delayed memory among VM patients. Notably, the Trail Making Test and Stroop Color-Word Test revealed compromised processing speed and executive function cognitive domains. The anti-saccadic task highlighted significantly elevated anti-saccadic latency and frequency of direction errors in vestibular migraine patients. Symptom severity, illness duration, and episode frequency in VM patients positively correlated with counter-scanning errors and negatively correlated with cognitive performance across diverse cognitive domains.
CONCLUSION
VM patients exhibit cognitive decline across multiple cognitive domains during the interictal period. This cognitive impairment may not be fully reversible, underscoring its potential clinical significance for cognitive management in VM patients. The sensitivity of anti-saccade tasks to the cognitive status of VM patients positions them as promising objective indicators for diagnosis, intervention, and evaluation of cognitive impairment effects in VM in future applications.
PubMed: 38948136
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1419372 -
Current Developments in Nutrition Jun 2024Urbanization influences food systems and food security, but research on these associations in low- and middle-income countries remain limited, partly because of the...
BACKGROUND
Urbanization influences food systems and food security, but research on these associations in low- and middle-income countries remain limited, partly because of the binary and unstandardized "urban compared with rural" classifications.
OBJECTIVES
To develop a community urbanicity scale, to assess its associations with household food security, and to explore whether agricultural occupation modifies this relationship across the 3 agroecological zones (mountain, hill, ) of Nepal.
METHODS
Data came from a nationally and agroecologically representative, multistaged 2013 agri-food system survey of 4285 households with children <5 y in 63 communities (wards) in Nepal. A novel community-level urbanicity scale was constructed using factor analysis that included 8 domains. Multilevel mixed effects logistic regression was used to assess associations between urbanicity and household food security (measured using the validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale), and to investigate modifying effects of agricultural occupation.
RESULTS
Urbanicity scores ranged between 13 and 69, of a possible 80 points. Most agricultural households in the mountains (67%) and hills (54%) were categorized food insecure. Increases in urbanicity were negatively associated with food insecurity, controlling for other factors (odds ratio [OR] per 10-unit urbanicity difference OR: 0.82; confidence interval [CI]: 0.71, 0.94; ≤ 0.05). Agricultural occupation may have positively influenced this association though was not a statistically significant effect measure modifier ( = 0.07).
CONCLUSIONS
The novel scale shows more nuance within Nepal's agroecological zones, which had similar urbanicity-to-food security relationships as well as overlapping urbanicity score distributions. Research and policy efforts should consider using scales providing more precise urbanicity measurement, and thus informative assessments on its role in predicting food insecurity, especially in agriculturally reliant populations.
PubMed: 38948107
DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.103773 -
International Journal of Public Health 2024We evaluated the long-term effects of air pollution controls on health and health inequity among Chinese >45 years of age.
OBJECTIVES
We evaluated the long-term effects of air pollution controls on health and health inequity among Chinese >45 years of age.
METHODS
Data were derived from the China Health Aging and Retirement Longitudinal Survey and the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre. Decreases in PM and PM were scaled to measure air quality controls. We used a quasi-experimental design to estimate the impact of air quality controls on self-reported health and health inequity. Health disparities were estimated using the concentration index and the horizontal index.
RESULTS
Air pollution controls significantly improved self-reported health by 20% (OR 1.20, 95% , 1.02-1.42). The poorest group had a 40% (OR 1.41, 95% , 0.96-2.08) higher probability of having excellent self-reported health after air pollution controls. A pro-rich health inequity was observed, and the horizontal index decreased after air pollution controls.
CONCLUSION
Air pollution controls have a long-term positive effect on health and health equity. The poorest population are the main beneficiaries of air pollution controls, which suggests policymakers should make efforts to reduce health inequity in air pollution controls.
Topics: Humans; Air Pollution; China; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Aged; Health Status Disparities; Longitudinal Studies; Particulate Matter; Socioeconomic Factors; Environmental Exposure; East Asian People
PubMed: 38948086
DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606956