Prediction of non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease and liver fat content by serum molecular lipids

Aims/hypothesis

We examined whether analysis of lipids by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to MS allows the development of a laboratory test for non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD), and how a lipid-profile biomarker compares with the prediction of NAFLD and liver-fat content based on routinely available clinical and laboratory data.

Methods

We analysed the concentrations of molecular lipids by UPLC-MS in blood samples of 679 well-characterised individuals in whom liver-fat content was measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) or liver biopsy. The participants were divided into biomarker-discovery (n?=?287) and validation (n?=?392) groups to build and validate the diagnostic models, respectively.

Results

Individuals with NAFLD had increased triacylglycerols with low carbon number and double-bond content while lysophosphatidylcholines and ether phospholipids were diminished in those with NAFLD. A serum-lipid signature comprising three molecular lipids (‘lipid triplet’) was developed to estimate the percentage of liver fat. It had a sensitivity of 69.1% and specificity of 73.8% when applied for diagnosis of NAFLD in the validation series. The usefulness of the lipid triplet was demonstrated in a weight-loss intervention study.

Conclusions/interpretation

The liver-fat-biomarker signature based on molecular lipids may provide a non-invasive tool to diagnose NAFLD, in addition to highlighting lipid molecular pathways involved in the disease.     

Alternatively spliced tissue factor promotes breast cancer growth in a β1 integrin-dependent manner

Full-length tissue factor (flTF), the coagulation initiator, is overexpressed in breast cancer (BrCa), but associations between flTF expression and clinical outcome remain controversial. It is currently not known whether the soluble alternatively spliced TF form (asTF) is expressed in BrCa or impacts BrCa progression. We are unique in reporting that asTF, but not flTF, strongly associates with both tumor size and grade, and induces BrCa cell proliferation by binding to β1 integrins. asTF promotes oncogenic gene expression, anchorage-independent growth, and strongly up-regulates tumor expansion in a luminal BrCa model. In basal BrCa cells that constitutively express both TF isoforms, asTF blockade reduces tumor growth and proliferation in vivo. We propose that asTF plays a major role in BrCa progression acting as an autocrine factor that promotes tumor progression. Targeting asTF may comprise a previously unexplored therapeutic strategy in BrCa that stems tumor growth, yet does not impair normal hemostasis.     

Same-day or historical ESR for disease activity score measurement: does it matter?

Several guidelines recommended routine use of Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) to monitor disease and the response to treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In practice, it may be appropriate to use historical erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values in place of same-day ESR, thereby preventing unnecessary delay in adjusting intervention. We asked whether ESR blood samples taken up to 3 months prior to the clinic appointment were adequate to accurately assess RA disease activity using the DAS28. RA patients (N?=?66) who met the inclusion criteria were assessed at baseline and ESR obtained on the day of review to calculate the DAS28 and compared with the DAS28 derived from the latest previous ESR (mean interval, 38.6 days; range, 6–99 days). Limits of agreement (LoA) were used to assess the agreement between the DAS28 pairs. The mean age of the participants was 61.5 years (range, 20–83 years), with mean disease duration of 11.0 years (range, 0.1–40 years). Comparing the DAS28 using same-day ESR versus pre-recorded historical ESR showed a small statistical difference (mean, ?0.09; 95 %CI, ?0.1602 to ?0.017) in the DAS28 score. The calculated LoA (?0.66 and 0.48) demonstrated acceptable agreement between DAS28 pairs, with 7.6 % of patients residing outside the LoA, all of whom had a significant treatment change. Disease misclassification occurred in 9.1 % of patients who were close to disease activity boundaries. Our results indicate that differences in the DAS28 due to a previous or same-day ESR are unlikely to be clinically significant for RA patients with established disease. A decision to adjust treatment therefore may be confidently made for most patients using the most recent ESR for calculating the DAS28, provided there was no major change in treatment since the last ESR measurement.     

Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Second-Line Drug-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Rural China

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of resistance to second-line antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs and its association with resistance-related mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated in China. In the present study, we collected 380 isolates from a population-based study in China and tested the drug susceptibility to first- and selected second-line drugs. These results were compared with polymorphisms in the DNA sequences of genes associated with drug resistance and MIC values of the studied second-line drugs. Of 43 multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates, 13 showed resistance to fluoroquinolones or injectable second-line drugs (preextensively drug-resistant TB [pre-XDR-TB]), and 4 were resistant to both and thus defined as extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Age and previous TB therapy, including use of second-line drugs, were two independent factors associated with increased resistance to both first- and second-line drugs. Molecular analysis identified the most frequent mutations in the resistance-associated genes: D94G in gyrA (29.1%) and A1401G in rrs (30.8%). Meanwhile, all 4 XDR-TB isolates had a mutation in gyrA, and 3 of them carried the A1401G mutation in rrs. Mutations in gyrA and rrs were associated with high-level resistance to fluoroquinolones and the second-line injectable drugs. In addition to the identification of resistance-associated mutations and development of a rapid molecular test to diagnose the second-line drug resistance, it should be a priority to strictly regulate the administration of second-line drugs to maintain their efficacy to treat multidrug-resistant TB.     

Construct validity and inter-rater reliability of the Dutch activity measure for post-acute care “6-clicks” basic mobility form to assess the mobility of hospitalized patients

Abstract

To evaluate the construct validity and the inter-rater reliability of the Dutch Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care “6-clicks” Basic Mobility short form measuring the patient’s mobility in Dutch hospital care. First, the “6-clicks” was translated by using a forward-backward translation protocol. Next, 64 patients were assessed by the physiotherapist to determine the validity while being admitted to the Internal Medicine wards of a university medical center. Six hypotheses were tested regarding the construct “mobility” which showed that: Better “6-clicks” scores were related to less restrictive pre-admission living situations (p?=?0.011), less restrictive discharge locations (p?=?0.001), more independence in activities of daily living (p?=?0.001) and less physiotherapy visits (p?<?0.001). A correlation was found between the “6-clicks” and length of stay (r=??0.408, p?=?0.001), but not between the “6-clicks” and age (r=??0.180, p?=?0.528). To determine the inter-rater reliability, an additional 50 patients were assessed by pairs of physiotherapists who independently scored the patients. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients of 0.920 (95%CI: 0.828–0.964) were found. The Kappa Coefficients for the individual items ranged from 0.649 (walking stairs) to 0.841 (sit-to-stand). The Dutch “6-clicks” shows a good construct validity and moderate-to-excellent inter-rater reliability when used to assess the mobility of hospitalized patients.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• Even though various measurement tools have been developed, it appears the majority of physiotherapists working in a hospital currently do not use these tools as a standard part of their care.

• The Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care “6-clicks” Basic Mobility is the only tool which is designed to be short, easy to use within usual care and has been validated in the entire hospital population.

• This study shows that the Dutch version of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care “6-clicks” Basic Mobility form is a valid, easy to use, quick tool to assess the basic mobility of Dutch hospitalized patients.