Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with pre- and post-therapy leptin levels.

<p>Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with pre- and post-therapy leptin levels.</p

Multivariate analyses of factors associated with pre- and post-therapy sex, BMI, and C3 levels.

<p>Multivariate analyses of factors associated with pre- and post-therapy sex, BMI, and C3 levels.</p

Comparison of the pre- and 24-week post-therapy variables in CHC patients stratified by the therapeutic response.

<p>Comparison of the pre- and 24-week post-therapy variables in CHC patients stratified by the therapeutic response.</p

Association between Leptin and Complement in Hepatitis C Patients with Viral Clearance: Homeostasis of Metabolism and Immunity

<div><p>Background</p><p>The association between leptin and complement in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unknown.</p><p>Methods</p><p>A prospective study was conducted including 474 (250 genotype 1, 224 genotype 2) consecutive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who had completed an anti-HCV therapy course and undergone pre-therapy and 24-week post-therapy assessments of interferon λ3-rs12979860 and HCV RNA/genotypes, anthropometric measurements, metabolic and liver profiles, and complement component 3 (C3), C4, and leptin levels.</p><p>Results</p><p>Of the 474 patients, 395 had a sustained virological response (SVR). Pre-therapy leptin levels did not differ between patients with and without an SVR. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that sex (pre- and post-therapy, p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (pre- and post-therapy, p<0.001), and C3 levels (pre-therapy, p = 0.027; post-therapy, p = 0.02) were independently associated with leptin levels with or without HCV infection. Pre-therapy BMI, total cholesterol (TC), C4 levels, and the rs12979860 genotype were independently associated with pre-therapy C3 levels in all patients. Post-therapy BMI, alanine aminotransferase, TC, C4 levels, white blood cell counts, and hepatic steatosis were independently associated with the post-therapy C3 levels of SVR patients. Compared with pre-therapy levels, SVR patients showed higher 24-week post-therapy C4 (20.32+/-7.30 vs. 21.55+/-7.07 mg/dL, p<0.001) and TC (171.68+/-32.67 vs. 186.97+/-36.09 mg/dL, p<0.001) levels; however, leptin and C3 levels remained unchanged after therapy in patients with and without an SVR.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Leptin and C3 may maintain immune and metabolic homeostasis through association with C4 and TC. Positive alterations in C4 and TC levels reflect viral clearance after therapy in CHC patients.</p></div

Baseline characteristics of CHC patients.

<p>Baseline characteristics of CHC patients.</p

The leptin-centered associations between the dependent and independent factors before (pre-therapy) and 24 weeks after anti-hepatitis C therapy (post-therapy).

<p>Tips of black arrowheads: dependent factors; Bases of black arrowheads: independent factors; UA: uric acid; HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; BMI: body mass index; HS: hepatic steatosis; IFNL3: interferon, λ3; TC: total cholesterol; C3: complement component 3; complement component 4: C4; WBC: white blood cell; HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance; red arrows: post-therapeutic increases in the TC and C4 levels.</p

Growth of Large-Area Graphene Single Crystals in Confined Reaction Space with Diffusion-Driven Chemical Vapor Deposition

To synthesize large-area graphene single crystals, we specifically designed a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) reactor with confined reaction space (L 22 mm × W 13 mm × H 50 μm). Within the confined reaction space, a uniform distribution of reactant concentrations, reduced substrate roughness, and the shift of growth kinetics toward a diffusion-limited regime can be achieved, favoring the preparation of large-area, high-quality graphene single crystals. The gas flow field and mass transport pattern of reactants in the LPCVD system simulated with a finite element method support the advantages of using this confined reaction room for graphene growth. Using this space-confined reactor together with the optimized synthesis parameters, we obtained monolayer, highly uniform, and defect-free graphene single crystals of up to ∼0.8 mm in diameter with the field-effect mobility of μ_EF ∼ 4800 cm² V^–1 s^–1 at room temperature. In addition, structural design of the confined reaction space by adjusting the reactor’s dimensions is of facile controllability and scalability, which demonstrates the superiority and preference of this method for industrial applications