Role of natural killer cells and vitamin signaling in autoimmune liver disease

Natural killer (NK) cells are a major group of human hepatic lymphocytes. Their precursors undergo a maturation process that leads to the acquisition of their effecter functions to regulate the innate and acquired immune responses. With the changes in the expression of chemotactic receptors and adhesion molecules, NK cells migrate to the target organ, leading to the immune-related liver diseases. The discovery of the vitamin signaling and vitamin receptor expression in NK cell lineage, particularly the interaction with nuclear receptors, suggests a novel role for vitamin signaling in modulating immunological function and in the development or prevention of autoimmune diseases.

Nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancers: An open-label, non-randomized, phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with high malignancy, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options.

AIM

To explore the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine as first-line treatment for advanced and metastatic BTCs.

METHODS

This open-label, non-randomized, double-center, phase II clinical trial recruited systemic therapy-naive patients with unresectable or metastatic BTCs between April 2019 and June 2022 at Beijing Cancer Hospital and the First Hospital of China Medical University. Eligible patients were administered nab-paclitaxel (150 mg/m2, day 1) and capecitabine (2000 mg/m2, twice daily, days 1-7) in 14-day cycles until experiencing intolerable toxicity or disease progression. The primary outcome was the objective response rate (ORR). The secondary outcomes included the disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients successfully completed the trial, with a median age of 64.00 years (interquartile range, 35.00-76.00), and 26 (59.09%) were females. Tumor response assessment was impeded for one patient due to premature demise from tumor hemorrhage. Among the remaining 43 patients undergoing at least one imaging assessment, the ORR was 23.26% [95% confidence interval (CI): 11.80%-38.60%], and the DCR was 69.77% (95%CI: 53.90%-82.80%). The median OS was 14.1 months (95%CI: 8.3-19.9), and the median PFS was 4.4 months (95%CI: 2.5-6.3). A total of 41 patients (93.18%) experienced at least one adverse event (AE), with 10 patients (22.73%) encountering grade ≥ 3 AEs, and the most frequent AEs of any grade were alopecia (79.50%), leukopenia (54.55%), neutropenia (52.27%), and liver dysfunction (40.91%), and no treatment-related deaths were documented.

CONCLUSION

Nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine may be an effective and safe first-line treatment strategy for patients with advanced or metastatic BTCs.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and COVID-19: Harmless companions or disease intensifier?

The pandemics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) coexist. Elevated liver function tests are frequent in COVID-19 and may influence liver damage in NAFLD, while preexisting liver damage from NAFLD may influence the course of COVID-19. However, the prognostic relevance of this interaction, though, is unclear. Obesity is a risk factor for the presence of NAFLD as well as a severe course of COVID-19. Cohort studies reveal conflicting results regarding the influence of NAFLD presence on COVID-19 illness severity. Striking molecular similarities of cytokine pathways in both diseases, including postacute sequelae of COVID-19, suggest common pathways for chronic low-activity inflammation. This review will summarize existing data regarding the interaction of both diseases and discuss possible mechanisms of the influence of one disease on the other.

Global trends and hotspots of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents: A bibliometric study and visualization analysis

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological surveys indicate an increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among children and adolescents worldwide. Due to rapid disease progression, severe long-term cardiorenal complications, a lack of effective treatment strategies, and substantial socioeconomic burdens, it has become an urgent public health issue that requires management and resolution. Adolescent T2DM differs from adult T2DM. Despite a significant increase in our understanding of youth-onset T2DM over the past two decades, the related review and evidence-based content remain limited.

AIM

To visualize the hotspots and trends in pediatric and adolescent T2DM research and to forecast their future research themes.

METHODS

This study utilized the terms "children", "adolescents", and "type 2 diabetes", retrieving relevant articles published between 1983 and 2023 from three citation databases within the Web of Science Core Collection (SCI, SSCI, ESCI). Utilizing CiteSpace and VoSviewer software, we analyze and visually represent the annual output of literature, countries involved, and participating institutions. This allows us to predict trends in this research field. Our analysis encompasses co-cited authors, journal overlays, citation overlays, time-zone views, keyword analysis, and reference analysis, etc.

RESULTS

A total of 9210 articles were included, and the annual publication volume in this field showed a steady growth trend. The United States had the highest number of publications and the highest H-index. The United States also had the most research institutions and the strongest research capacity. The global hot journals were primarily diabetes professional journals but also included journals related to nutrition, endocrinology, and metabolism. Keyword analysis showed that research related to endothelial dysfunction, exposure risk, cardiac metabolic risk, changes in gut microbiota, the impact on comorbidities and outcomes, etc., were emerging keywords. They have maintained their popularity in this field, suggesting that these areas have garnered significant research interest in recent years.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric and adolescent T2DM is increasingly drawing global attention, with genes, behaviors, environmental factors, and multisystemic interventions potentially emerging as future research hot spots.

Exploration of metformin-based drug combination for mitigating diabetes-associated atherosclerotic diseases

Diabetes mellitus is a substantial global health threat due to its high prevalence and its serious complications. The hyperglycemic state causes damage to vascular endothelial cells and disturbance of lipid metabolism, thus contributing to the development of vascular disorders, especially atherosclerotic diseases. Aggressive glycemic control combined with vascular intervention is critical to the prevention and treatment of diabetes-associated atherosclerosis. It is suggested that metformin should be combined with hypoglycemic agents with proven vascular benefits for treating type 2 diabetes (T2DM) complicated with atherosclerotic diseases. Clinical studies indicates that the preferred combination is metformin with either glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist or sodium/glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, which could offer additional vascular benefits and reduce the risk of atherosclerotic complications. Likewise, combination therapy with metformin and hypolipidemic agents has also shown additive effects on glucose control and lipid-lowering in patients with both diabetes and dyslipidemia, whereas extensive clinical trials using atherosclerotic-associated outcomes are required to support the vascular benefits. Moreover, co-administration of metformin with systemic antioxidant or anti-inflammatory therapy may also provide additional vascular benefits as indicated by several animal studies. For instance, a recent study found that additional supplementation of cholecalciferol and taurine enhanced metformin efficacy in controlling diabetes while reducing the risk of associated atherosclerotic complications. However, these potential benefits remain need validation by the evidence from clinical studies. Despite the limitations, such as heterogeneity across different patient populations, and deficiency in long-term outcomes, such efforts can contribute to finding optimal drug combinations to improve the management of T2DM and reduce its atherosclerotic complications.

Detection, management, and prevention of diabetes-related foot disease in the Australian context

Diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) is a widely feared complication among people who live with diabetes. In Australia and globally, rates of disability, cardio-vascular disease, lower extremity amputation, and mortality are significantly increased in patients with DFD. In order to understand and prevent these outcomes, we analyse the common pathogenetic processes of neuropathy, arterial disease, and infection. The review then summarises important management considerations through the interdisciplinary lens. Using Australian and international guidelines, we offer a stepwise, evidence-based practical approach to the care of patients with DFD.