Journal of internal medicine
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Long-term exposure to ambient ozone links to aging biomarkers and increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). However, the roles of aging biomarkers in the association of long-term exposure to ambient ozone with ASCVD are unclear. ⋯ Long-term exposure to ambient ozone was associated with increased 10-year ASCVD risk, and the association was partially mediated by aging biomarkers (shortened TL and decreased mtDNA-CN). This study indicated that ambient ozone pollution-related ASCVD risk might be partially explained by the telomere-mitochondrial axis of aging.
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DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that has consistently been shown to be linked with a variety of human traits and diseases. Because DNA methylation is dynamic and potentially reversible in nature and can reflect environmental exposures and predict the onset of diseases, it has piqued interest as a potential disease biomarker. DNA methylation patterns are more stable than transcriptomic or proteomic patterns, and they are relatively easy to measure to track exposure to different environments and risk factors. ⋯ In this review, we will first discuss the advantages and challenges of DNA methylation biomarkers in general. We will then review the current state and future potential of DNA methylation biomarkers in two human traits that show rather consistent alterations in methylome-obesity and smoking. Lastly, we will briefly speculate about the future prospects of DNA methylation biomarkers, and possible ways to achieve them.
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Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a feared complication after heart valve surgery. Studies on differences in bacteriology in various types of PVE are limited. ⋯ The type of prosthetic heart valve is associated with the causative pathogen. Patients with mechanical valves are more likely to have PVE caused by S. aureus.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Risk factors for anti-drug antibody formation to infliximab: secondary analyses of a randomised controlled trial.
Anti-drug antibodies (ADAb) frequently form early in the treatment course of infliximab and other tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, leading to treatment failure and adverse events. ⋯ Several risk factors for ADAb formation during early-phase infliximab treatment were identified. This knowledge provides a basis for treatment strategies to mitigate the formation of ADAb and identify patients in whom these measures are of particular importance.