Correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver with metabolic risk factors and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity

AIM: To assess the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) with metabolic risk factors and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity(ba PWV). METHODS: A total of 8603 subjects(6662 males and 1941 females) were enrolled during an annual health check-up. Fatty liver was examined using a Philips HD 11 XE multi-function color Doppler diagnostic instrument, and ba PWV was determined using a novel arteriosclerosis detection device. Blood pressure(BP), fasting plasma glucose(FPG), waist circumference( W C), p l a s m a t r i g l y c e r i d e s( TG), h i g h- d e n s i t y lipoprotein(HDL), total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein(LDL) and uric acid(UA) were measured using standard methods. The relationship between fatty liver with metabolic risk factors and ba PWV was analyzed using regression analysis and the χ2 test. RESULTS: The values and abnormal rates of ba PWV were significantly different between NAFLD patients and non-NAFLD subjects(P < 0.001). In addition, the values of ba PWV were different by gender between NAFLD patients and non-NAFLD subjects. The OR values in females, males, and the entire population were 3.33, 1.67, and 2.13, respectively(P < 0.001). The incidence of high ba PWV increased with increasing degree of NAFLD(levels 0, 1, 2, and 3)(P < 0.001), which was 45.9%, 54.5%, 60.2%, and 71.4% in malesand 27.0%, 49.1%, 55.60%, and 60.0% in females(P < 0.001), respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the OR value for ba PWV in the nonmetabolic syndrome group and the metabolic syndrome group was 1.28 vs 1.14(males) and 2.55 vs 0.98(females). The OR values for ba PWV in the non-high-BP and high-BP, non-high-WC and high-WC, non-high-FPG and high-FPG, non-high-TG and high-TG, non-high-HDL and high-HDL, non-high-TC and high-TC, non-high-LDL and high-LDL, non-high-UA and high-UA groups were 3.38 vs 1.19, 3.50 vs 1.44, 2.80 vs 2.30, 3.29 vs 1.88, 3.03 vs 3.28, 3.35 vs 2.70, 3.93 vs 1.66, and 3.20 vs 2.34, respectively, in females(P < 0.001), and were 1.37 vs 1.34, 1.56 vs 1.26, 1.51 vs 1.28, 1.49 vs 1.52, 1.71 vs 1.61, 1.59 vs 1.74, 1.76 vs 1.47, and 1.73 vs 1.54, respectively, in males(P < 0.01). The OR value for ba PWV was still higher than 1.2(1.21 in males and 1.40 in females) after adjustment for the metabolic component(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and above)(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: NAFLD is closely correlated with ba PWV, particularly in females. NAFLD has a large impact on ba PWV, no matter whether the metabolic index is increased or not. NAFLD may be a useful indicator for assessing early arteriosclerosis.

Methotrexate ameliorates pristane-induced arthritis by decreasing IFN-γ and IL-17A expressions

Objective: This study was carried out to test the effects of methotrexate (MTX) and black seed oil (BSO) on pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) in rats.Methods: Inbred dark agouti (DA) rats were induced by a single subcutaneous injection of pristane,and then treated with MTX or BSO.Arthritis severity was evaluated macroscopically and microscopically.Plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentration was determined by the Griess method and cytokine mRNA expression in the spleen was detected by the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results: The clinical arthritis severity was decreased after MTX treatment,while the BSO groups did not show significant changes compared with the disease group.The plasma NO level of the MTX group was significantly decreased compared with the disease group,but the BSO groups showed no difference from the disease group in plasma NO levels.The interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) mRNA expressions in the spleens were significantly decreased in the MTX group,but only showed a declining trend in the BSO groups compared with the disease group.Neither MTX nor BSO had an effect on the mRNA expressions of IL-4,transforming growth factor β (TGF-β),and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the spleen.Conclusions: MTX,but not BSO,can reduce the arthritis severity and decrease the mRNA expressions of IFN-γ and IL-17A in pristane-induced arthritis of rats.

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung accompanied with multiple systemic metastases

To the Editor:Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung(HAL)is a rare malignant tumor,which can be defined as alph-fetoprotein(AFP)-producing primary lung cancer.Most hepatoid adenocarcinomas(HAC)have high AFP expression.HAL lacks effective treatment and has poor prognosis,but early diagnosis and timely treatment can improve long-term survival rate.

Neurolymphomatosis Caused by Nasal-type Extranodal Natural Killer/T-cell Lymphoma

To the Editor： Neurolymphomatosis （NL） is a clinical disorder that presents with peripheral neuropathy due to lymphomatous infiltration of the nerves. NL is generally associated with B-cell lymphomas, and T-cell lymphoma is extremely rare.

Compromised immune status of patients with post-liver transplant biliary complications

Immunosuppression(IS)is indispensable for liver trans-plant(LTx)patients to control the unwanted alloimmune responses,which are mainly mediated by T cells.However,antigen-independent homeostasis of T cells is vital for sustaining long-lived T cell-mediated immunity,and excessive IS may increase the risk of opportunistic infections and malignancies.Therefore,IS therapy for LTx patients should be tailored to the immune status of the individual patient.[1]Biliary complications(BC),including biliary strictures with cholangitis,are the most common complications after LTx.However,the immunological characteristics especially T cell-mediated immunity of these patients are unknown yet.