Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin and Interleukin-6 as Predictors of Fibrosis in Alcohol Cirrhosis

The severity of alcoholic cirrhosis depends on the presence of liver inflammation and fibrogenesis. Previous studies have hypothesized that carbohydrate deficient transferrin can be used as marker of liver impairment in alcoholic liver disease patients. The present study was designed to assess whether carbohydrate deficient transferrin is associated with procollagen III peptide and predict fibrosis in alcohol cirrhosis patients. We enrolled 48 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and 38 healthy controls. Serum carbohydrate deficient transferrin, procollagen III peptide and interleukin-6 levels were estimated in both groups. Serum carbohydrate deficient transferrin, procollagen III peptide and interleukin-6 were significantly increased in alcoholic cirrhosis patients compared to controls. Stepwise regression analysis showed that carbohydrate deficient transferrin (adjusted R² = 0.313, β = 0.362, p = 0.003) and interleukin-6 (adjusted R² = 0.194, β = 0.459, p = 0.001) were positively associated with procollagen III peptide when age, duration and amount of alcohol consumption were considered as covariates. We conclude that elevated carbohydrate deficient transferrin and interleukin-6 act as predictors of fibrosis in alcoholic cirrhosis.     

补充糖对运动员训练和竞技能力的影响

运动员饮食中含糖低于“最适宜的”量易诱发过早疲劳。在进行长时间运动时疲劳常因肌糖元排空,其含量低于临界值(50mM/kg湿肌)或血糖浓度降至临界值(3.3mM/L)以下引起,这时运动强度必将显著降低甚或被中止。因此,摄食高糖饮食可增加肌糖元及改善耐力,维持高的训练质量。摄食糖的数量、糖的类型和摄取时间三者都是改善运动后恢复速率的营养策略的组成部分。     

Hydrogen Breath Tests in Gastrointestinal Diseases

Hydrogen breath tests are widely used to explore pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and carbohydrate malabsorption are disorders detected by these tests that have been proposed to be of great importance for symptoms of GI diseases. Glucose hydrogen breath test is more acceptable for diagnosis of SIBO whereas lactose and fructose hydrogen breath tests are used for detection of lactose and fructose maldigestion respectively. Lactulose hydrogen breath test is also used widely to measure the orocecal transit time for GI motility. These methods are noninvasive and inexpensive. Many patients with functional gut disorders are unaware of the relationship between diet and GI symptoms they present. In particular, patients with chronic symptoms may regard their condition as normal and may not be aware that their symptoms can be effectively managed following a proper diagnosis. Patients with symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and altered bowel movements (diarrhea and constipation), or with a medical diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease, may have undiagnosed carbohydrate malabsorption or SIBO. Hydrogen breath tests are specific and sensitive diagnostic tests that can be used to either confirm or eliminate the possibility of carbohydrate malabsorption or SIBO in such patients. Breath tests, though valuable tools, are underutilized in evaluating dyspepsia and functional bloating and diarrhea as well as suspected malabsorption. However, because of their simplicity, reproducibility and safety of procedure they are now being substituted to more uncomfortable and expensive techniques that were traditionally used in gastroenterology.