Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease Predicts Long-term Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease

Background/AimsWe investigated the effect of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) on future mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) using a prospective community-based cohort study.MethodsIndividuals from two community-based cohorts who were 40 to 70 years old were prospectively followed for 16 years. MAFLD was defined as a high fatty liver index (FLI ≥60) plus one of the following conditions overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥23 kg/m²), type 2 diabetes mellitus, or ≥2 metabolic risk abnormalities. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was defined as FLI ≥60 without any secondary cause of hepatic steatosis.ResultsAmong 8,919 subjects (age 52.2±8.9 years, 47.7% of males), 1,509 (16.9%) had MAFLD. During the median follow-up of 15.7 years, MAFLD independently predicted overall mortality after adjustment for confounders (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.69) but NAFLD did not (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.53). MAFLD also predicted CVD after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.62), which lost its statistical significance by further adjustments. Stratified analysis indicated that metabolic dysfunction contributed to mortality (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.89) and CVD (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.59). Among metabolic dysfunctions used for defining MAFLD, type 2 diabetes mellitus in MAFLD increased the risk of both mortality (HR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.52 to 2.81) and CVD (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.85).ConclusionsMAFLD independently increased overall mortality. Heterogeneity in mortality and CVD risk of subjects with MAFLD may be determined by the accompanying metabolic dysfunctions.     

Combining support vector machine with genetic algorithm to classify ultrasound breast tumor images

To promote the classification accuracy and decrease the time of extracting features and finding (near) optimal classification model of an ultrasound breast tumor image computer-aided diagnosis system, we propose an approach which simultaneously combines feature selection and parameter setting in this study.In our approach ultrasound breast tumors were segmented automatically by a level set method. The auto-covariance texture features and morphologic features were first extracted following the use of a genetic algorithm to detect significant features and determine the near-optimal parameters for the support vector machine (SVM) to identify the tumor as benign or malignant.The proposed CAD system can differentiate benign from malignant breast tumors with high accuracy and short feature extraction time. According to the experimental results, the accuracy of the proposed CAD system for classifying breast tumors is 95.24% and the computing time of the proposed system for calculating features of all breast tumor images is only 8% of that of a system without feature selection. Furthermore, the time of finding (near) optimal classification model is significantly than that of grid search. It is therefore clinically useful in reducing the number of biopsies of benign lesions and offers a second reading to assist inexperienced physicians in avoiding misdiagnosis.     

Zootoxicological properties of venom L-amino acid oxidase

L-amino acid oxidase prepared from Crotalus adamanteus venom after the method of and does not contribute to the production of the profound fall in systemic arterial pressure usually seen following injection of crude Crotalus venom, nor does it provoke any early deleterious changes in the dependent variables of the cardiovascular system.

The enzyme has no effect on neuromuscular transmission in the mammal. Its LD₅₀ is 9·13 (7·83–10·35) mg per kg test animal body weight.     

Endovascular treatment of posterior cerebral artery aneurysms using detachable coils

Introduction Aneurysms of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) are rare, and most of the studies reported in the literature in which the endovascular approach was applied were carried out on a limited number of patients with PCA aneurysms. We retrospectively reviewed our cases of PCA aneurysms – at various locations and of differing shapes – that received endovascular treatment and evaluated the treatment outcome. Methods From January 1996 to December 2006, 13 patients (eight females and five males) with 17 PCA aneurysms (nine fusiform and eight saccular) were treated using the endovascular approach. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 67 years, with a mean age of 44 years. Of the 13 patients, ten presented with intracranial hemorrhage, and one patient, with a large P2 aneurysm, presented with trigeminal neuralgia; the aneurysms were asymptomatic in the remaining two patients. Results All 13 patients were successfully treated, with only one procedure-related symptomatic complication. Seven patients were treated by occlusion of the aneurysm and parent artery together; five patients, by selective embolization of the aneurysm; one patient, by partial coiling. Although infarctions were found in two patients treated with selective embolization and in three patients treated with parent artery occlusion, only one patient with a ruptured P2 aneurysm treated with parent artery occlusion developed transient amnesia as an ischemic symptom. Conclusion Posterior cerebral artery aneurysms can be treated safely with either occlusion of the aneurysm together with the PCA or with a selective coil embolization. Infarctions may occur after endovascular treatment, but they are rarely the cause of a disabling symptom.     

Patients' and carers' preferences in two models of care for acute exacerbations of COPD: results of a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Patients with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were randomised to either hospital at home (HaH) or inpatient management, and patient and carer preferred site of management and satisfaction with care received in the two arms was determined. METHODS: Emergency admissions with an acute exacerbation of COPD were randomised to inpatient care or HaH care. After discharge an independent observer administered a questionnaire to both patients and carers on the preferred site of care and scored satisfaction with the care received. RESULTS: Of 60 patients recruited, 30 were randomised to receive HaH care. Retrospective patient preference for HaH care was 96.3% in the domiciliary arm and 59.3% in the conventional arm; carer preference figures were 85.7% and 42.9%, respectively. There was a higher preference for domiciliary care by both patients and carers in the HaH arm than in the inpatient arm (p=0.001 and p=0.01, respectively). Patients recorded equal satisfaction with care in the two arms (88.1% in the conventional arm, 91.7% in the domiciliary arm); carer scores were 91.3% and 91.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that both patients and carers were significantly more likely to prefer domiciliary care if they were in the HaH arm. Since patients had to be willing to be looked after at home, both patients' and carers' perceptions of the benefits of HaH care were reinforced by their experience. HaH care of acute exacerbations of COPD is the preferred option in suitable patients.     

Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Beyond Milan Criteria: Should We Perform Transarterial Chemoembolization or Liver Transplantation?

Patients with unresectable, beyond Milan criteria, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invariably undergo palliative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of conventional TACE versus liver transplantation (LT) in unresectable (beyond Milan criteria) HCC. Twelve patients underwent LT and 86 TACE for unresectable, beyond Milan criteria HCC. The inclusion criteria were a single tumor ≤6.5 cm or ≤5 tumors and all tumors ≤5 cm based on initial radiologic findings. We excluded patients with double primary cancers, age >60 years, vascular invasion, or extrahepatic spread. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis showed that TACE was a prognostic factor for survival (hazard ratio, 16.66, P = .000). The LT group showed significantly better survival than the TACE cohort. Two cases (16.7%) in the LT group recurred at a median time of 13.5 months. Survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 100%, 88.9%, and 76.2% in the LT group, and 85.6%, 45.6%, and 21.4% in the TACE group, respectively. Patients with unresectable, beyond Milan criteria HCC should be given the option to receive LDLT, because LT offers a significantly better likelihood of survival than TACE.     

Comparison of Outcomes of Living and Deceased Donor Kidney Grafts Surviving Longer Than 5 Years in Korea

Background

It is generally recognized that living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) grafts are superior to deceased donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) grafts. We compared survival and functional outcomes of LDKT and DDKT grafts.

Methods

Among 1000 kidneys transplanted from 1995 to 2008, we selected grafts surviving >5 years, excluding pediatric, multi-organ transplantation, and retransplantations (n = 454).

Results

There were 179 kidneys from deceased donors and 275 from living donors. Recipients showed no difference in age, gender, or cause of renal failure. Donors were younger in the DDKT group (30.6 vs 38.5 years; P < .05). There were more male donors in the DDKT group (73.2% vs 54.5%; P < .05). Deceased donors showed a greater mean number of HLA mismatches (4.2 vs 2.7; P < .05). Death-censored graft survival at 10 years showed no difference (DDKT 88.9% vs LDKT 88.9%; P = .99). Mean serum creatinine at 5 years was 1.41 mg/dL for DDKT and 1.44 mg/dL for LDKT (P = .75). Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate at 5 years was 67.8 mL/min/1.73 m² for DDKT and 62.1 mL/min/1.73 m² for LDKT (P = .23). Twenty-three DDKT grafts (12.8%) and 47 LDKT grafts (17.1%) experienced acute rejection episodes (P = .22). DDKT recipients showed more cases of viral and bacterial infections compared with LDKT recipients (viral, 11.7% vs 2.2% [P < .05]; bacterial, 21.8% vs 7.3% [P < .05]).

Conclusion

Among kidney grafts surviving >5 years, there was no difference in survival or serum creatinine levels at 5 and 10 years between DDKT and LDKT grafts.     

Donor Characteristics Associated With Reduced Survival of Transplanted Kidney Grafts in Korea

Background

Certain donor characteristics are known to be associated with increased graft failure in kidney transplantation.

Methods

We analyzed donor and recipient characteristics among deceased donor kidney transplantations performed from 1995 to 2008, excluding multiorgan, pediatric, and retransplantation cases.

Results

The 299 cases underwent analysis of donor characteristics including age, sex, cause of brain death, history of hypertension, cardiac arrest, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, last serum creatinine before organ donation, and change in creatinine during ICU stay. Cox regression analysis identified two factors that independently predicted a greater risk of graft failure. The factors were cerebrovascular accident (CVA) as the cause of brain death and a history of hypertension. Compared with donors with causes of brain death other than CVA, the adjusted hazard ratios for graft failure (GF) of kidneys from donors with CVA were 2.37 (1.34-4.19, P = .003). The hazard ratio for GF was 2.42 (1.34-4.37, P = .003) for kidneys from those with a history of hypertension. Donors meeting the criteria of CVA as the cause of brain death or history of hypertension comprised 43% of transplantation cases (128/299). Donor age and last serum creatinine level, which were identified in previous studies to show higher risks of graft failure, did not apply in our patients.

Conclusion

Donor history of hypertension and CVA as the cause of brain death were significant determinants of reduced graft survival after DDKT in Korea.