The epidemiology of cough in the elderly population has not been studied comprehensively. The present study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of cough in a community elderly population, ...particularly in relation with their comorbidity.
A cross-sectional analysis was performed using a baseline dataset from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging, a community-based elderly population cohort study. Three types of cough (frequent cough, chronic persistent cough, and nocturnal cough) were defined using questionnaires. Comorbidity was examined using a structured questionnaire. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form 36 questionnaire.
The prevalence was 9.3% for frequent cough, 4.6% for chronic persistent cough, and 7.3% for nocturnal cough. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, smoking, asthma and allergic rhinitis were found to be risk factors for cough in the elderly. Interestingly, among comorbidities, constipation and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c ≥ 8%) were also found to have positive associations with elderly cough. In the Short Form 36 scores, chronic persistent cough was independently related to impairment of quality of life, predominantly in the mental component.
Cough has a high prevalence and is detrimental to quality of life in the elderly. Associations with smoking, asthma and rhinitis confirmed previous findings in younger populations. Previously unrecognised relationships with constipation and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus suggested the multi-faceted nature of cough in the elderly.
The aim of this study is to identify the effects of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) on immunologic parameters and bronchial-hyper-responsiveness in children with allergic rhinitis to house-dust mite ...(HDM), through long-term follow-up cohort.
Among the Allergic Rhinitis Cohort Study for Kids, pediatric patients who visited the hospital for rhinitis symptoms and proven allergy to HDM through skin prick test were studied. In this cohort, 37 patients received SLIT more than 3-years (SLIT group), and 184 patients received only pharmacologic therapy (non-SLIT group) were included in this study. The results of skin prick test, eosinophil percent and count, total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and bronchial provocation test at initial and 3-year followed-up were compared in the two groups.
After 3 year follow-up, only the serum eosinophil percent decreased more significantly in SLIT group than that in the non-SLIT group. New-sensitization rate other than HDM between SLIT and non-SLIT group did not show any significant differences. The distribution of sensitized allergen other than HDM showed increasing tendency after 3 years in both groups. Older age and a small number of sensitized allergen affected the improvement of bronchial hyper-responsiveness regardless of SLIT.
HDM SLIT in allergic rhinitis children for 3 years in Korea does not affect prevention of new sensitization and poly-sensitization rate increment, and improvement of bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
Abstract Background The International Diabetes Federation consensus recently proposed a new definition for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, incorporating ethnically specific waist circumference ...(WC) cutoff points. Objective We investigated the ethnically appropriate WC cutoff values for central obesity in Korean adults to predict increased risk of elevated triacylglycerol, reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting plasma glucose, or two or more of these factors. Design We used data from 6561 adults, aged 20–80 years, who participated in the Korean Health and Nutritional Examination Survey of 1998, a cross-sectional health survey of a nationally representative sample of Koreans. Results Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the WC value for predicting metabolic risk factors in Koreans was about 85 cm for men and 80 cm for women. The odds ratio for the risk of two or more metabolic risk factors increased abruptly in men with WC ≥ 90 cm and women with WC ≥ 85 cm. The 80th percentile for WC in the Korean population was 90 cm for men and 86.5 cm for women. Thus, the appropriate WC cutoff point for central obesity in Koreans was determined to be 90 cm for men and 85 cm for women. Conclusions Based on our criteria, the prevalence of central obesity was 19.8% in Korean men and 24.5% in Korean women. These findings suggest the applicability of ethnically specific cutoff points for WC in assessing central obesity.
We synthesized a new probe, Mito-Naph, to visualize mitochondrial thioredoxin (Trx) activity in cells. A fluorescence off–on change is induced by disulfide cleavage of the probe, resulting from a ...reaction with Trx and subsequent intramolecular cyclization by the released thiolate to give a fluorescent product. By measuring the fluorescence at 540 nm, Trx activity can be detected at nanomolar concentrations (down to 50 nM) well below its physiological levels. The in vitro and in vivo Trx preference of Mito-Naph was demonstrated by fluorometric and confocal microscopic experiments. In vitro kinetic analysis of the disulfide bond cleavage revealed that the second-order rate constant for Trx is (4.04 ± 0.26) × 103 (M s)−1, approximately 5000 times faster than that for GSH. The inhibition experiments involving PX-12, a selective inhibitor of Trx, also revealed that the emission from Mito-Naph significantly decreased in PX-12 dose-dependent manners, both in living cells and in cellular protein extracts. The Trx preference was further supported by an observation that the fluorescence intensity of rat liver extract was decreased according to the Trx depletion by immunoprecipitation. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that Mito-Naph preferentially reacts with Trx, compared with other biological thiols containing amino acids in vitro and in vivo.
Prognostic genes or gene signatures have been widely used to predict patient survival and aid in making decisions pertaining to therapeutic actions. Although some web-based survival analysis tools ...have been developed, they have several limitations.
Taking these limitations into account, we developed ESurv (Easy, Effective, and Excellent Survival analysis tool), a web-based tool that can perform advanced survival analyses using user-derived data or data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Users can conduct univariate analyses and grouped variable selections using multiomics data from TCGA.
We used R to code survival analyses based on multiomics data from TCGA. To perform these analyses, we excluded patients and genes that had insufficient information. Clinical variables were classified as 0 and 1 when there were two categories (for example, chemotherapy: no or yes), and dummy variables were used where features had 3 or more outcomes (for example, with respect to laterality: right, left, or bilateral).
Through univariate analyses, ESurv can identify the prognostic significance for single genes using the survival curve (median or optimal cutoff), area under the curve (AUC) with C statistics, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC). Users can obtain prognostic variable signatures based on multiomics data from clinical variables or grouped variable selections (lasso, elastic net regularization, and network-regularized high-dimensional Cox-regression) and select the same outputs as above. In addition, users can create custom gene signatures for specific cancers using various genes of interest. One of the most important functions of ESurv is that users can perform all survival analyses using their own data.
Using advanced statistical techniques suitable for high-dimensional data, including genetic data, and integrated survival analysis, ESurv overcomes the limitations of previous web-based tools and will help biomedical researchers easily perform complex survival analyses.
Exposure to cold temperature stimulates the sympathetic nervous system that activates β-adrenergic receptor signals in brown and beige adipocytes, leading to the induction of adaptive thermogenesis ...in mammals. Prominin-1 (PROM1) is a pentaspan transmembrane protein that is widely identified as a marker for stem cells, although the role of this protein as a regulator of many intracellular signaling cascades has been recently delineated. The main focus of the current study is to identify the previously unknown role of PROM1 in beige adipogenesis and adaptive thermogenesis.
Prom1 whole body knockout (Prom1 KO) mice, Prom1 adipogenic progenitor (AP) cell-specific knockout (Prom1 APKO) mice and Prom1 adipocyte-specific knockout (Prom1 AKO) mice were constructed and were subject for the induction of adaptive thermogenesis. The effect of systemic Prom1 depletion was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunostaining, and biochemical analysis in vivo. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the identity of PROM1-expressing cell types, and the resultant cells were subject to beige adipogenesis in vitro. The potential role of PROM1 and ERM in cAMP signaling was also assessed in undifferentiated AP cells in vitro. Finally, the specific effect of Prom1 depletion on AP cell or mature adipocytes on adaptive thermogenesis was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunostaining, and biochemical analysis in vivo.
Prom1 KO mice displayed an impairment in cold- or β3-adrenergic agonist–induced adaptive thermogenesis in subcutaneous adipose tissues (SAT) but not in brown adipose tissues (BAT). By fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, we identified that PROM1 positive cells are enriched in PDGFRα+Sca1+ AP cells from SAT. Interestingly, Prom1 knockout stromal vascular fractions showed reduced PDGFRα expression, suggesting a role of PROM1 in beige adipogenic potential. Indeed, we found that Prom1-deficient AP cells from SAT showed reduced potential for beige adipogenesis. Furthermore, AP cell-specific depletion of Prom1, but not adipocyte-specific depletion of Prom1, displayed defects in adaptive thermogenesis as evidenced by resistance to cold-induced browning of SAT and dampened energy expenditure in mice.
We found that PROM1 positive AP cells are essential for the adaptive thermogenesis by ensuing stress-induced beige adipogenesis. Identification of PROM1 ligand might be useful in the activation of thermogenesis that could be potentially beneficial in combating obesity.
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•PROM1 expression is enriched in beige adipogenic precursor (AP) cells in subcutaneous adipose tissues.•Depletion of Prom1 in AP cells led to the reduced potential for beige adipogenesis.•PROM1-ERM axis in AP cells is critical in instigating beige adipogenesis in vitro.•Compared with the wild type control, Prom1 AP cell-specific knockout mice displayed impaired adaptive thermogenesis.•PROM1+ AP cells are instrumental in ensuing adaptive thermogenesis by maintaining the potential of beige adipogenesis.
Background & Aims Although sarcopaenia is associated with obesity-related comorbidities, its influence on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or steatohepatitis has not been fully determined. ...We aimed to investigate the direct relationship between sarcopaenia and NAFLD or steatohepatitis in the general population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using nationally representative samples of 15,132 subjects from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2008–2011. Subjects were defined as having NAFLD when they had higher scores from previously validated NAFLD prediction models such as the hepatic steatosis index, comprehensive NAFLD score and NAFLD liver fat score. BARD and FIB-4 scores were used to define advanced fibrosis in subjects with NAFLD. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) SMI(%) = total appendicular skeletal muscle mass (kg)/weight (kg) × 100 measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to diagnose sarcopaenia with cut points of 32.2% for men and 25.5% for women. Results SMI was inversely correlated with all NAFLD predicting scores (Ps <0.001). After stratification, sarcopaenic subjects had an increased risk of NAFLD regardless of obesity (odds ratios ORs = 1.55 to 3.02, depending on models; all Ps <0.001) or metabolic syndrome (ORs = 1.63 to 4.00, all Ps <0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis also demonstrated this independent association between sarcopaenia and NAFLD after adjusting for confounding factors related to obesity or insulin resistance (ORs = 1.18 to 1.22, all Ps <0.001). Furthermore, among the NAFLD population, subjects with lower SMIs were likely to have advanced fibrosis compared with non-sarcopaenic individuals (BARD and FIB-4: ORs = 1.83 and 1.69, respectively; both Ps <0.001). Compared with non-exercised subjects, individuals who exercised regularly had a lower risk of NAFLD ( p <0.001), particularly among obese people with well-preserved muscle mass. Conclusions Sarcopaenia is associated with increased risks of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis, independent of obesity or metabolic control.
•CO2, temperature, or water availability alone changed litter quantity and chemistry.•Warming with elevated CO2 and changed soil water did not affect litter parameter.•Lignin/N increased with litter ...production due to N dilution and vice versa.•Changed lignin/N did not affect soil respiration but affected microbial biomass.
Elevated CO2 concentration (CO2) and air temperature (Tair) as well as changed soil water availability (Wsoil) may affect quantity, chemistry, and microbial decomposability of tree leaf litter. However, our understanding is limited mainly to the effect of elevated CO2. This study investigated the effects of elevated CO2 and Tair in combination with two Wsoil regimes on the quantity and chemistry including the ratio of lignin to nitrogen (lignin/N) of litter produced by Pinus densiflora and Quercus variabilis saplings, and microbial respiration of the soils amended with the litters. Either elevated CO2 or high Wsoil alone increased litter production; meanwhile elevated Tair alone decreased litter production. However, co-elevation of CO2 and Tair did not change litter production regardless of Wsoil regime for both species. Among litter chemistry, the lignin/N, which is a robust indicator of litter decomposability, of litter was changed in parallel with litter quantity (i.e., lignin/N ratio increased when litter quantity increased and vice versa) mainly due to dilution of N. Due to the opposite effect of warming and elevated CO2 on litter quantity, lignin/N was not changed under co-elevated CO2 and Tair at a given Wsoil regime for both species. Other litter chemistry including non-structural carbohydrates and minerals was also affected by CO2, Tair, or Wsoil. However, changed litter chemistry did not change the CO2 emission from the soils amended with the litters; however, addition of litter with low lignin/N and high nutrients increased microbial biomass in the soil. This study enlarges our understanding of the effects of changed climatic variables on litter quantity, chemistry, and microbial decomposability and suggests that co-elevation of CO2 and Tair may not cause a significant change in the litter parameters regardless of Wsoil. Study with mature trees at a natural forest should further improve our understanding.
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This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of splenomegaly, mainly focussing on cytopenia, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Cytopenia was commonly observed in 111 SLE ...patients with splenomegaly (n = 79, 71.2%). During the follow‐up period, two patients developed haematologic malignancy after the diagnosis of SLE and splenomegaly, but no patients experienced severe complications (e.g. splenic rupture) related to splenomegaly.
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