scholarly journals Salivary IL-6 Concentration Is Associated with Frailty Syndrome in Older Individuals

Diagnostics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Pablo Gómez-Rubio ◽  
Isabel Trapero ◽  
Omar Cauli ◽  
Cristina Buigues
Keyword(s):  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Frailty Syndrome ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Syndrome Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frailty Criteria

Background: One of the physiological changes that is most closely associated with frailty is the increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, and IL-6 in particular. Most studies have demonstrated this association using blood samples. We analyzed the relationship between frailty syndrome, individual frailty criteria, and IL-6 levels obtained by saliva tests. Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was performed among women institutionalized in nursing homes. Frailty was defined as having three or more of the following components: low lean mass, weakness, self-reported exhaustion, low activity level, and slow walking speed; prefrailty was defined as having one or two of those components. Results: There was a significant and positive correlation between the frailty score and salivary IL-6 concentration. Regarding the associations between IL-6 and individual dichotomized frailty criteria, there were significant differences in salivary IL-6 concentration in two frailty criteria: weight loss (p = 0.002) and low physical activity (p = 0.007). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that IL-6 concentration significantly (p < 0.05) (although moderately) discriminated patients that progressed in the frailty syndrome (the area under the curve value was 0.697 with 95% CI 0.566–0.827). Conclusions: Salivary IL-6 concentration can be used as potential biomarker of frailty syndrome and as a tool to monitor the effects of interventions in frail individuals.

scholarly journals Frailty syndrome in an independent urban population in Brazil (FIBRA study): a cross-sectional populational study

2016 ◽  
Vol 134 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Barradas Calado ◽  
Eduardo Ferriolli ◽  
Júlio César Moriguti ◽  
Edson Zangiacomi Martinez ◽  
Nereida Kilza da Costa Lima
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Level ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Frailty Syndrome ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cutoff Points ◽  
Independent Elderly

ABSTRACT: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Frailty is a multifactorial syndrome. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of frailty syndrome in an elderly urban population. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study carried out at the homes of a randomized sample representing the independent elderly individuals of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. METHODS: Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data and criteria of the frailty phenotype were obtained at the subjects' homes; 385 individuals were evaluated. Frailty was defined based on detection of weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slowness and low physical activity level. Individuals with three or more of these characteristics were classified as frail and those with one or two as pre-frail. Specific cutoff points for weakness, slowness and low physical activity level were calculated. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 73.9 ± 6.5 years, and 64.7% were women. 12.5% had lost weight over the last year; 20.5% showed exhaustion, 17.1% slowness, 24.4% low physical activity level and 20.5% weakness. 9.1% were considered frail and 49.6% pre-frail. Frail subjects were older, attended more medical visits, had a higher chance of hospitalization within the last 12 months and had more cerebrovascular events, diabetes, neoplasms, osteoporosis and urinary and fecal incontinence. CONCLUSION: In this independent elderly population, there were numerous frail and pre-frail individuals. Frailty syndrome was associated with high morbidity. Cutoff points for weakness, slowness and low physical activity level should be adjusted for the population under study. It is essential to identify frail and pre-frail older individuals for appropriate interventions.

scholarly journals Optimal Utility of H-Reflex RDD as a Biomarker of Spinal Disinhibition in Painful and Painless Diabetic Neuropathy

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1247
Author(s):  
Anne Worthington ◽  
Alise Kalteniece ◽  
Maryam Ferdousi ◽  
Luca Donofrio ◽  
Shaishav Dhage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetic Neuropathy ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Painful Diabetic Neuropathy ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Spinal Inhibition

Impaired rate-dependent depression of the Hoffman reflex (HRDD) is a potential biomarker of impaired spinal inhibition in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. However, the optimum stimulus-response parameters that identify patients with spinal disinhibition are currently unknown. We systematically compared HRDD, performed using trains of 10 stimuli at five stimulation frequencies (0.3, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 Hz), in 42 subjects with painful and 62 subjects with painless diabetic neuropathy with comparable neuropathy severity, and 34 healthy controls. HRDD was calculated using individual and mean responses compared to the initial response. At stimulation frequencies of 1, 2 and 3 Hz, HRDD was significantly impaired in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy compared to patients with painless diabetic neuropathy for all parameters and for most parameters when compared to healthy controls. HRDD was significantly enhanced in patients with painless diabetic neuropathy compared to controls for responses towards the end of the 1 Hz stimulation train. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in patients with and without pain showed that the area under the curve was greatest for response averages of stimuli 2–4 and 2–5 at 1 Hz, AUC = 0.84 (95%CI 0.76–0.92). Trains of 5 stimuli delivered at 1 Hz can segregate patients with painful diabetic neuropathy and spinal disinhibition, whereas longer stimulus trains are required to segregate patients with painless diabetic neuropathy and enhanced spinal inhibition.

scholarly journals Relationship between Plasma Trimethylamine N-Oxide Levels and Renal Dysfunction in Patients with Hypertension

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jia Zhou ◽  
Dingkun Wang ◽  
Bingong Li ◽  
Xuelian Li ◽  
Xingjun Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Renal Dysfunction ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Hypertensive Patients ◽  
Ckd Stage ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
The Relationship

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria. Although increased TMAO levels have been linked to hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with poor prognosis, no clinical studies have directly addressed the relationship between them. In this study, we investigated the relationship between TMAO and renal dysfunction in hypertensive patients. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We included healthy controls (<i>n</i> = 50), hypertensive patients (<i>n</i> = 46), and hypertensive patients with renal dysfunction (<i>n</i> = 143). Their blood pressure values were taken as the highest measured blood pressure. Renal function was evaluated using the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Plasma TMAO levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We found significant differences in plasma TMAO levels among the 3 groups (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). The plasma TMAO of patients with HTN was significantly higher than that of healthy people, and the plasma TMAO of patients with HTN complicated by renal dysfunction was significantly higher than either of the other groups. Patients in the highest TMAO quartile were at a higher risk of developing CKD stage 5 than those in the lowest quartile. In the receiver operating characteristic curve, the area under the curve of TMAO combined with β 2-macroglobulin for predicting renal dysfunction in patients with HTN was 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.80–0.90). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> An elevated TMAO level reflects higher levels of HTN and more severe renal dysfunction. TMAO, combined with β 2-macroglobulin levels, may assist in diagnosing CKD in hypertensive patients. Plasma TMAO has predictive value for early kidney disease in hypertensive patients.

scholarly journals Community-Level Sports Group Participation and Health Behaviors Among Older Non-Participants in a Sports Group: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Taishi Tsuji ◽  
Satoru Kanamori ◽  
Yasuhiro Miyaguni ◽  
Katsunori Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Transtheoretical Model ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Partial Regression Coefficient ◽  
Group Participation ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The Relationship

This study validates the relationship between community-level sports group participation and the frequency of leaving the house and transtheoretical model stages of behavior change for exercise among older individuals who did not participate in a sports group. We used cross-sectional data from the 2016 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. The proportion of sports group participants at the community level was calculated using the data from 157,233 older individuals living in 1000 communities. We conducted a multilevel regression analysis to examine the relationship between the proportion of sports group participants and the frequency of leaving the house (1 day/week or less) and the transtheoretical model stages of behavior change for exercise. A statistically significant relationship was observed between a high prevalence of sports group participation and lower risk of homeboundness (odds ratio: 0.94) and high transtheoretical model stages (partial regression coefficient: 0.06) as estimated by 10 percentage points of participation proportion. Older individuals, even those not participating in a sports group, living in a community with a high prevalence of sports group participation are less likely to be homebound; they are highly interested and have numerous opportunities to engage in exercise.

Proteomic Profile of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles Identifies AGP1 as a Potential Biomarker of Primary Aldosteronism

Endocrinology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric R Barros ◽  
Juan Pablo Rigalli ◽  
Alejandra Tapia-Castillo ◽  
Andrea Vecchiola ◽  
Morag J Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Primary Aldosteronism ◽  
Proteomic Analysis ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Extracellular Vesicle ◽  
Parent Cell ◽  
Spot Urine ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Aldosterone To Renin Ratio

Abstract Context Primary aldosteronism (PA) represents 6% to 10% of all essential hypertension patients and is diagnosed using the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) and confirmatory studies. The complexity of PA diagnosis encourages the identification of novel PA biomarkers. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) are a potential source of biomarkers, considering that their cargo reflects the content of the parent cell. Objective We aimed to evaluate the proteome of uEVs from PA patients and identify potential biomarker candidates for PA. Methods Second morning spot urine was collected from healthy controls (n = 8) and PA patients (n = 7). The uEVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and characterized. Proteomic analysis on uEVs was performed using LC-MS Orbitrap. Results Isolated uEVs carried extracellular vesicle markers, showed a round shape and sizes between 50 and 150 nm. The concentration of uEVs showed a direct correlation with urinary creatinine (r = 0.6357; P = 0.0128). The uEV size mean (167 ± 6 vs 183 ± 4nm) and mode (137 ± 7 vs 171 ± 11nm) was significantly smaller in PA patients than in control subjects, but similar in concentration. Proteomic analysis of uEVs from PA patients identified an upregulation of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1 (AGP1) in PA uEVs, which was confirmed using immunoblot. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.92 (0.82 to 1; P = 0.0055). Conclusion Proteomic and further immunoblot analyses of uEVs highlights AGP1 as potential biomarker for PA.

scholarly journals D-dimer as a biomarker for assessment of COVID-19 prognosis: D-dimer levels on admission and its role in predicting disease outcome in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256744
Author(s):  
Ayusha Poudel ◽  
Yashasa Poudel ◽  
Anurag Adhikari ◽  
Barun Babu Aryal ◽  
Debika Dangol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Immunofluorescence Assay ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Optimal Cutoff ◽  
Cutoff Value ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
D Dimer

Introduction Coronavirus Disease 2019 is a primarily respiratory illness that can cause thrombotic disorders. Elevation of D-dimer is a potential biomarker for poor prognosis in COVID-19, though optimal cutoff value for D-dimer to predict mortality has not yet been established. This study aims to assess the accuracy of admission D-dimer in the prognosis of COVID-19 and to establish the optimal cutoff D-dimer value to predict hospital mortality. Methods Clinical and laboratory parameters and outcomes of confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted to four hospitals in Kathmandu were retrospectively analyzed. Admitted COVID-19 cases with recorded D-dimer and definitive outcomes were included consecutively. D-dimer was measured using immunofluorescence assay and reported in Fibrinogen Equivalent Unit (μg/ml). The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the accuracy of D-dimer in predicting mortality, and to calculate the optimal cutoff value, based on which patients were divided into two groups and predictive value of D-dimer for mortality was measured. Results 182 patients were included in the study out of which 34(18.7%) died during the hospital stay. The mean admission D-dimer among surviving patients was 1.067 μg/ml (±1.705 μg/ml), whereas that among patients who died was 3.208 μg/ml (±2.613 μg/ml). ROC curve for D-dimer and mortality gave an area under the curve of 0.807 (95% CI 0.728–0.886, p<0.001). Optimal cutoff value for D-dimer was 1.5 μg/ml (sensitivity 70.6%, specificity 78.4%). On Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, the unadjusted hazard ratio for high D-dimer was 6.809 (95% CI 3.249–14.268, p<0.001), and 5.862 (95% CI 2.751–12.489, p<0.001) when adjusted for age. Conclusion D-dimer value on admission is an accurate biomarker for predicting mortality in patients with COVID-19. 1.5 μg/ml is the optimal cutoff value of admission D-dimer for predicting mortality in COVID-19 patients.

scholarly journals Validation of the efficacy of the NUTRISCORE for the nutritional screening of cancer patients in China

BMC Cancer ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junren Kang ◽  
Hailong Li ◽  
Xiaodong Shi ◽  
Enling Ma ◽  
Wei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Clinical Teaching ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Kappa Index ◽  
Nutritional Screening ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Abstract Background Malnutrition is common in cancer patients. The NUTRISCORE is a newly developed cancer-specific nutritional screening tool and was validated by comparison with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) in Spain. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the NUTRISCORE, MST, and PG-SGA in estimating the risk of malnutrition in Chinese cancer patients. Methods Data from an open parallel and multicenter cross-sectional study in 29 clinical teaching hospitals in 14 Chinese cities were used. Cancer patients were assessed for malnutrition using the PG-SGA, NUTRISCORE, and MST. The sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were estimated for the NUTRISCORE and MST using the PG-SGA as a reference. Results A total of 1000 cancer patients were included. The mean age was 55.9 (19 to 92 years), and 47.5% were male. Of these patients, 450 (45.0%) had PG-SGA B and C, 29 (2.9%) had a NUTRISCORE ≥5, and 367 (36.7%) had an MST ≥ 2. Using the PG-SGA as a reference, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve values of the NUTRISCORE were found to be 6.2, 99.8%, and 0.53, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve values of the MST were 50.9, 74.9%, and 0.63, respectively. The kappa index between the NUTRISCORE and PG-SGA was 0.066, and that between the MST and PG-SGA was 0.262 (P < 0.05). Conclusions The NUTRISCORE had an extremely low sensitivity in cancer patients in China compared with the MST when the PG-SGA was used as a reference.

What Is the Prevalence of Measles Immunity among Pregnant Women?

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (01) ◽  
pp. 016-022
Author(s):  
Melissa T. Chu Lam ◽  
Emily Schmidt-Beuchat ◽  
Emma Geduldig ◽  
Lois E. Brustman ◽  
Katie Hyewon Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination History

Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of measles immunity in a cohort of pregnant women in New York City and determine if there is a positive correlation of measles immunity with patient demographics, rubella immunity, number of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) doses received, and age at last vaccination. Study Design This is a cross-sectional study of pregnant patients seen at a single institution from January 2019 to May 2019. Patients were classified as measles and rubella immune or nonimmune using commercial immunoglobulin G (IgG) tests. Patient characteristics were compared using t-tests, Chi-square tests, or Fisher's exact tests as appropriate. The association of age at last vaccination with immunity status was assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age at presentation. The utility of rubella IgG for distinguishing measles immunity was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results Serologic immunity for measles and rubella was obtained for 1,366 patients. Of these, 1,047 (77%) were measles immune and 1,291 (95%) were rubella immune. Patients born after 1989 were less likely to be immune to measles, while multiparity and private insurance were associated with increased measles immunity. Documentation of MMR vaccination was available for 140 (10%) patients. Of these, 44 (31%) were serologically nonimmune to measles and 9 (6.4%) were nonimmune to rubella. In patients known to have received one dose of MMR, 62% (24/39) were immune to measles with an improvement to 72% (69/96) among those who received two or more doses. Age at last vaccination was not associated with measles immunity. Rubella IgG level was a poor predictor of positive measles titer (area under the curve = 0.59). Conclusion Approximately one of every four pregnant patients is serologically measles nonimmune, even among women with documented MMR vaccination or documented rubella immunity. These findings raise concerns that relying on vaccination history or rubella immune status may not be sufficient to assure protection from infection with measles. If further suggests that measles serology should be added to routine prenatal laboratory testing to identify nonimmune patients that may benefit from postpartum vaccination. Key Points

scholarly journals Association of epileptiform abnormalities and seizures in Alzheimer disease

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (16) ◽  
pp. e2259-e2270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice D. Lam ◽  
Rani A. Sarkis ◽  
Kyle R. Pellerin ◽  
Jin Jing ◽  
Barbara A. Dworetzky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Scalp Eeg ◽  
Epileptiform Discharges ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
The Relationship

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between scalp EEG biomarkers of hyperexcitability in Alzheimer disease (AD) and to determine how these electric biomarkers relate to the clinical expression of seizures in AD.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we performed 24-hour ambulatory scalp EEGs on 43 cognitively normal elderly healthy controls (HC), 41 participants with early-stage AD with no history or risk factors for epilepsy (AD-NoEp), and 15 participants with early-stage AD with late-onset epilepsy related to AD (AD-Ep). Two epileptologists blinded to diagnosis visually reviewed all EEGs and annotated all potential epileptiform abnormalities. A panel of 9 epileptologists blinded to diagnosis was then surveyed to generate a consensus interpretation of epileptiform abnormalities in each EEG.ResultsEpileptiform abnormalities were seen in 53% of AD-Ep, 22% of AD-NoEp, and 4.7% of HC. Specific features of epileptiform discharges, including high frequency, robust morphology, right temporal location, and occurrence during wakefulness and REM, were associated with clinical seizures in AD. Multiple EEG biomarkers concordantly demonstrated a pattern of left temporal lobe hyperexcitability in early stages of AD, whereas clinical seizures in AD were often associated with bitemporal hyperexcitability. Frequent small sharp spikes were specifically associated with epileptiform EEGs and thus identified as a potential biomarker of hyperexcitability in AD.ConclusionEpileptiform abnormalities are common in AD but not all equivalent. Specific features of epileptiform discharges are associated with clinical seizures in AD. Given the difficulty recognizing clinical seizures in AD, these EEG features could provide guidance on which patients with AD are at high risk for clinical seizures.

Cross-Sectional Associations Between Sitting Time and Several Aspects of Mental Health in Belgian Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1112-1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda Asztalos ◽  
Greet Cardon ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Katrien De Cocker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Indices ◽  
Sleeping Problems ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
The Relationship

Background:Sedentary behavior (including sitting) is negatively associated with physical health, independent from physical activity (PA). Knowledge on the associations with mental health is less elaborated. Therefore this study aims to investigate the relationship between sitting and 5 indices of mental health in adults (psychological distress, depression, anxiety, somatization, and sleeping problems), and between sitting interactions (sitting×gender, sitting×age, sitting×education, and sitting×PA) and these mental health indices.Methods:A cohort of Belgian adults (25–64 years; n = 4344) provided self-reported data on sitting and PA and on 5 mental health indices. Cross-sectional associations were examined using multiple linear regression analyses.Results:Analyses adjusted for gender, age, education, and PA showed significant positive associations between sitting and the 5 mental health indices (P < .05). All associations were true for both men and women, and for low and high educated individuals, while some were only found in older individuals (somatization, P < .001) and those being insufficiently active (psychological distress, P = .007; depression, P = .002; and anxiety, P = .014).Conclusions:More sitting seems to be associated with poorer mental health, independently of gender, age, education, and PA. Moderation analyses showed that these associations may differ according to age and PA levels.

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