Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Comparative Study
Statin use and the risk of renal cell carcinoma: national cohort study.
Statins are a therapeutic drug with reducing plasma cholesterol levels and have been linked with potential antitumor effects. However, epidemiological studies on statin use and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk have been inconsistent. This cohort study aimed to examine this association in an Asian population. ⋯ Moreover, we found a significant inverse association between cumulative statin use and the risk of RCC. Further, the inverse association between statin use and risk of RCC was evident in both sexes. This population-based cohort study provides longitudinal evidence that the use of statins was associated with a reduced risk of RCC.
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Nephropathy is a common health issue associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in an early stage can effectively inhibit its progression. Albuminuria is the currently accepted marker for detection of DN. ⋯ AUCs of periostin were higher than that for cyclophilin A with a significant AUC difference (p=0.022) in overt DN stage. Periostin and cyclophilin A could be regarded as a potential urinary biomarker for early prediction of DN. Periostin exhibits a higher diagnostic accuracy than urinary cyclophilin A specifically in overt DN stage.
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While non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in non-pregnant patients, the clinical significance of NAFLD during pregnancy is still unclear. We hypothesized that sonographic findings of NAFLD during pregnancy would be associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and predict abnormal postpartum glucose metabolism. NAFLD was assessed by ultrasound during and after pregnancy. ⋯ There was a non-significant trend toward higher mean weight and body mass index during and after gestation in the NAFLD group, but no statistically significant differences in mean age, ethnicity, prepregnancy and postpregnancy hemoglobin A1C values, and postpartum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucose, insulin, or FFA. We did not find an association between sonographic evidence of NAFLD during the third trimester of pregnancy and abnormal glucose metabolism during or after pregnancy. This study also suggests that while AST and ALT are not reliable diagnostic tools for NAFLD during the postpartum period, ultrasound is a reasonably safe, practical, and cost-effective modality to assess maternal hepatic fat during pregnancy.
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To analyze the maternal and fetal factors affecting emergency cesarean section (EmCS) and establish a risk scoring system to quantitatively predict the risk of EmCS. ⋯ An effective risk scoring system has been developed to quantitatively assess the risk of EmCS based on measurable maternal and fetal factors. The system is simple, easy to operate and has good repeatability in clinical practice.