Abstract： Purpose: This study aims to determine vitamin D concentrations in the vitreous and serum, as well as the expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in the vitreous of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). In addition, we investigated the possible correlation between NLRP3 inflammasome levels and vitamin D concentrations. Methods: We obtained vitreous samples before vitrectomy from 55 PDR patients, 25 non-diabetic patients with idiopathic macular hole (IMH), and 10 nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) patients. We also collected serum samples from the same patients. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine NLRP3 Iinflammasome pathway proteins, including NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and VEGF. In addition, vitamin D concentrations were analyzed in Roche Cobas 6000’s module e601 platform by electrochemiluminescence immune assay. Results: The levels of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and VEGF increased dramatically in PDR vitreous. H
Greater increases in fasting ghrelin associated with improved metabolic benefits seen with plant-enhanced Mediterranean diet. But one commentator calls the findings simply hypothesis-generating .
There is a distinct increase in the prevalence of depression with the onset of puberty. The role of peripubertal testosterone levels in boys in this context is insufficiently understood and may be modulated by a functional polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene (AR), a variable number of CAG repeats. Moreover, there is preliminary evidence that the relationship between testosterone, CAG repeat length, and the severity of depressive symptoms may differ between subclinical and overt depression, but this has neither been studied in a clinical sample of adolescents with depression nor compared between subclinical and overt depression in an adequately powered study. To investigate the relationship between free testosterone, CAG repeat length of the AR, depression status (subclinical vs. overt), and the severity of depressive symptoms, 118 boys treated as in- or daycare patients at a single psychiatric hospital were studied. Of these, 73 boys had at least mild depressive symptoms accordi
Endocrine Today | About 25% of U.S. adults have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is the most common chronic liver condition in the U.S., according to the American Liver Foundation. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, known as NAFLD, can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is a leading indication for liver transplant. However, most patients with NAFLD die of cardiovascular disease, not liver