Fish to meat intake ratio and cooking oils are associated with hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels

Aim: Dietary habits are involved in the development of chronic inflammation; however, the impact of dietary profiles of hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal alanine transaminase levels (HCV‐PNALT) remains unclear. The decision‐tree algorithm is a data‐mining statistical technique, which uncovers meaningful profiles of factors from a data collection. We aimed to investigate dietary profiles associated with HCV‐PNALT using a decision‐tree algorithm. Methods: Twenty‐seven HCV‐PNALT and 41 patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled in this study. Dietary habit was assessed using a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. A decision‐tree algorithm was created by dietary variables, and was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (AUROC). Results: In multivariate analysis, fish to meat ratio, dairy product and cooking oils were identified as independent variables associated with HCV‐PNALT. The decision‐tree algorithm was created with two variables: a fish to meat ratio and cooking oils/ideal bodyweight. When subjects showed a fish to meat ratio of 1.24 or more, 68.8% of the subjects were HCV‐PNALT. On the other hand, 11.5% of the subjects were HCV‐PNALT when subjects showed a fish to meat ratio of less than 1.24 and cooking oil/ideal bodyweight of less than 0.23 g/kg. The difference in the proportion of HCV‐PNALT between these groups are significant (odds ratio 16.87, 95% CI 3.40–83.67, P = 0.0005). Fivefold cross‐validation of the decision‐tree algorithm showed an AUROC of 0.6947 (95% CI 0.5656–0.8238, P = 0.0067). Conclusion: The decision‐tree algorithm disclosed that fish to meat ratio and cooking oil/ideal bodyweight were associated with HCV‐PNALT.     

In vivo bioluminescence imaging of magnetically targeted bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells in skeletal muscle injury model

The purpose of this study is to clarify the kinetics of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in rat skeletal muscle injury model and the contribution of the magnetic cell delivery system to muscle injury repair. A magnetic field generator was used to apply an external magnetic force to the injury site of the tibia anterior muscle, and 1 × 10⁶ MSCs labeled with ferucarbotran–protamine complexes, which were isolated from luciferase transgenic rats, were injected into the injury site. MSCs were injected with and without an external magnetic force (MSC M+ and MSC M? groups, respectively), and phosphate‐buffered saline was injected into injury sites as a control. In vivo bioluminescence imaging was performed immediately after the transplantation and, at 12, 24, and 72 h, and 1 and 4 weeks post‐transplantation. Also, muscle regeneration and function were histologically and electromechanically evaluated. In vivo bioluminescence imaging showed that the photon of the MSC M+ group was significantly higher than that of the MSC M? group throughout the observation period. In addition, muscle regeneration and function in the MSC M+ group was histologically and functionally better than that of the MSC M? group. The results of our study indicated that magnetic cell delivery system may be of use in directing the transplanted MSCs to the injury site to promote skeletal muscle regeneration. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 754–759, 2013     

Early abnormality detected by speckle-tracking echocardiography in a patient with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis

A 56-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of respiratory symptoms. Her admission ECG showed normal sinus rhythm and standard echocardiographic evaluation showed no structural or functional abnormalities. She was diagnosed as having sarcoidosis by imaging modalities and mediastinum lymph node biopsy. In this case, 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) demonstrated abnormal regional myocardial function and delayed enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed a high intensity area in the same segments. This case suggests that STE is potentially useful for the detection of cardiac sarcoidosis in the early phase.     

Cognitive behavioural therapy with behavioural analysis for pharmacological treatment-resistant chronic insomnia

This study aimed to determine whether (1) cognitive behavioural therapy with behavioural analysis for insomnia (CBTi-BA) is more effective for insomnia and co-morbid depressive symptoms than treatment as usual (TAU) and (2) whether CBTi-BA promotes earlier reduction of the daily dose of hypnotic medication in chronic insomnia resistant to pharmacological treatment. A total of 63 patients with chronic insomnia aged 20–77 years who already received hypnotic medication regularly were assigned to two interventions: combined therapy or TAU alone. The subjects provided demographic information and completed self-rating scales for insomnia and depressive symptoms. After treatment, the combined therapy group showed significant decreases in the symptoms of both insomnia and depression and significant reductions in the daily dose of hypnotic medication compared with the group receiving TAU alone. In the combined therapy group, 71% of the participants reported a reduction in insomnia to normal levels and 79% succeeded in decreasing the daily dose of hypnotics to 50% or less of the baseline dose. These results revealed that CBTi-BA can reduce insomnia and depressive symptoms as well as the daily dose of hypnotic medication in patients with chronic insomnia resistant to pharmacological treatment.     

Safety of peritoneal dialysis catheter surgery under dexmedetomidine and local anesthesia for elderly patients in Japan: a single-center prospective cohort study

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - The number of patients aged ≥ 75 years and who need renal replacement therapy is steadily increasing. The study aimed to determine...     

Butyrylcholinesterase level as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: a single-center retrospective study

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - We investigated whether butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was independently related to the overall survival (OS) of patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD)....     

Urinary metabolic fingerprinting for thioacetamide-induced rat acute hepatic injury using fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), with reference to detection of potential biomarkers for hepatotoxicity

In this study, we performed urinary metabolic fingerprinting using Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) in the thioacetamide (TAA)-induced rat model of acute hepatic injury to search for useful biomarkers involved in the acute hepatic toxicity. TAA was intraperitonealy administered a single dose of 300 mg/kg, and urine sample and livers were collected on predose, and days 1, 3, 5, and 7 postdose (Days 1, 3, 5, and 7). Histopathologically, infiltration of macrophages occurred in the TAA-induced centrilobular injured area on Days 1 and 3, and the injured liver recovered on Days 5 and 7. On the scores plot of principal component analysis (PCA), the ion profiles of Days 1 and 3 were different from those of the predose, Days 5 and 7. The loading plot revealed that the metabolites causing PCA results were m/z 266.05390, 401.20737, and 429.23882. The ion at m/z 266.05390 was identified as a potassium ion adduct of deoxycytidine (dCyt). Because the appearance of urinary dCyt was corresponding to macrophage infiltration in the rat-injured liver, it was considered that the urinary dCyt might be released from infiltrated macrophages. dCty might be a biomarker for the acute hepatotoxicity in rats.