Depression and suicide risk prediction models using blood-derived multi-omics data

More than 300 million people worldwide experience depression; annually, ~800,000 people die by suicide. Unfortunately, conventional interview-based diagnosis is insufficient to accurately predict a psychiatric status. We developed machine learning models to predict depression and suicide risk using blood methylome and transcriptome data from 56 suicide attempters (SAs), 39 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 87 healthy controls. Our random forest classifiers showed accuracies of 92.6% in distinguishing SAs from MDD patients, 87.3% in distinguishing MDD patients from controls, and 86.7% in distinguishing SAs from controls. We also developed regression models for predicting psychiatric scales with R2 values of 0.961 and 0.943 for Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression???17 and Scale for Suicide Ideation, respectively. Multi-omics data were used to construct psychiatric status prediction models for improved mental health treatment

Association between Bone Mineral Density and LDL Receptor-Related Protein 5 Gene Polymorphisms in Young Korean Men

Recently, It has been reported that the LDL receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) regulates bone formation, and that mutations of the gene cause osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome or high bone mass phenotypes. However, the mutations cannot explain a genetic trait for osteoporosis in the general population because of their rarity. From 219 Korean men aged 20-34 yr, we looked for six known polymorphisms causing amino acid changes in the LRP5 coding region, and investigated their association with bone mineral density (BMD) at the following anatomical sites: lumbar spine (L2-L4) and the left proximal femur (femoral neck, Ward's triangle, trochanter and shaft). We found that the Q89R polymorphism was significantly associated with BMD at the femoral neck and Ward's triangle (p=0.004 and <0.001, respectively). However, after adjusting for age, weight and height, a statistically significant association only occurred at the Ward's triangle (p=0.043), and a marginal association was observed at the femoral neck (p=0.098). No A400V, V667M, R1036Q and A1525V polymorphisms were found, and no statistically significant association was found between the A1330V polymorphism and BMD at any sites. Although we failed to demonstrate a clear association between the LRP5 polymorphism and peak bone mass in young men, the present study suggests that larger-scale studies on the Q89R polymorphism need to be performed

Cystatin C as an Early Biomarker of Nephropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

This study was done to evaluate clinical usefulness of cystatin C levels of serum and urine in predicting renal impairment in normoalbuminuric patients with type 2 diabetes and to evaluate the association between albuminuria and serum/urine cystatin C. Type 2 diabetic patients (n = 332) with normoalbuminuria (n = 210), microalbuminuria (n = 83) and macroalbuminuria (n = 42) were enrolled. Creatinine, urinary albumin levels, serum/urine cystatin C and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR by MDRD [Modification of Diet in Renal Disease] and CKD-EPI [Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration] equations) were determined. The cystatin C levels of serum and urine increased with increasing degree of albuminuria, reaching higher levels in macroalbuminuric patients (P < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, serum cystatin C was affected by C-reactive protein (CRP), sex, albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) and eGFR. Urine cystatin C was affected by triglyceride, age, eGFR and ACR. In multivariate logistic analysis, cystatin C levels of serum and urine were identified as independent factors associated with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 estimated by MDRD equation in patients with normoalbuminuria. On the other hand, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 estimated by CKD-EPI equation was independently associated with low level of high-density lipoprotein in normoalbuminuric patients. The cystatin C levels of serum and urine could be useful markers for renal dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria

The influence of waist circumference on insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in apparently healthy Korean adults

Background/AimsWaist circumference (WC) is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and is related to insulin resistance (IR) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of this study was to determine the association between WC and IR and NAFLD in apparently healthy Korean adults.MethodsThe volunteers included in this cross-sectional study comprised 9,159 adults (5,052 men, 4,107 women) who participated in a comprehensive health checkup program. IR was evaluated by the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) and was considered to be present when the HOMA-IR score was >2. NAFLD was evaluated by ultrasound examination. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was defined as >40 IU/L in men and >35 IU/L in women. Logistic regression was performed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for NAFLD, IR, and ALT according to categorized levels of WC.ResultsNAFLD was found in 2,553 (27.9%) of the participants (82.6% men, 17.4% women), while IR and elevated ALT were found in 17.2% (68.1% men, 31.9% women) and 10% (83% men, 17% women), respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, the prevalence of NAFLD, IR, and elevated ALT was significantly associated with increases in WC quartile: highest quartile for NAFLD in men, OR=15.539, 95% CI=12.687-19.033; highest quartile for NAFLD in women, OR=48.732, 95% CI=23.918-99.288 (P<0.001); and highest quartile for IR in men, OR=17.576, 95% CI=13.283-23.255; highest quartile for IR in women, OR=11.078, 95% CI=7.813-15.708 (P<0.001); highest quartile for elevated ALT in men, OR=7.952, 95% CI=6.046-10.459; and highest quartile for elevated ALT in women, OR=8.487, 95% CI=4.679-15.395 (P<0.001).ConclusionsWC contributes to IR and NAFLD in apparently healthy Korean adults, and thus may be an important factor in the development of IR and NAFLD

The Mildly Elevated Serum Bilirubin Level is Negatively Associated with the Incidence of End Stage Renal Disease in Patients with IgA Nephropathy

Oxidative stress plays various roles in the development and progression of IgA nephropathy, while bilirubin is known as a potent antioxidant. We therefore hypothesized that serum bilirubin would be associated with renal prognosis in IgA nephropathy. The study subjects comprised 1,458 adult patients with primary IgA nephropathy in Korea. We grouped patients according to the following quartile levels of bilirubin: <0.4 mg/dL (Q1), 0.4-0.5 mg/dL (Q2), 0.6-0.7 mg/dL (Q3), and >0.8 mg/dL (Q4). The outcome data were obtained from the Korean Registry of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Eighty patients (5.5%) contracted ESRD during a mean follow-up period of 44.9 months. The ESRD incidences were 10.7% in Q1, 8.2% in Q2, 2.8% in Q3, and 2.8% in Q4 (p<0.001). The relative risk of ESRD compared to that in Q1 was 0.307 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.126-0.751) in Q3 and 0.315 (95% CI, 0.130-0.765) in Q4. The differences of ESRD incidence were greater in subgroups of males and of patients aged 35 yr or more, with serum albumin 4.0 g/dL or more, with normotension, with eGFR 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or more, and with proteinuria less then 3+ by dipstick test. In conclusion, higher bilirubin level was negatively associated with ESRD incidence in IgA nephropathy

High tensile ductility of Ti-based amorphous matrix composites modified from conventional Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy

Three Ti-based amorphous matrix composites containing ductile dendrites were fabricated by adding alloying elements of Ti, Zr, V, Ni, Al and Be into a conventional Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and the deformation mechanisms related to the improvement of tensile ductility were investigated by focusing on how the effective size of ductile dendrites affected the initiation and propagation of deformation bands or shear bands. The composites contained similar to 73-76 vol.% dendrites similar to 63-103 mu m in size, and had excellent tensile properties with a yield strength of over 1.3 GPa and an elongation of over 7%. In the composite containing very large dendrites, deformation bands were formed at dendrites in the same direction. In the composite containing small dendrites, however, many deformation bands were actively formed inside dendrites in the several directions, and cross each other to form widely deformed areas. This wide and homogeneous deformation in both dendrites and amorphous matrix enhances the tensile ductility, resulting in high strength and elongation occurring simultaneously. In order to theoretically explain the enhanced tensile ductility, a finite-element method (FEM) analysis based on the real microstructures considering dendrite crystal orientations was performed. The FEM simulation results of deformation bands or shear bands were in good agreement with the experimental findings. The reasons for such a good match between the simulation and experimental results are discussed in detail. (c) 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.X113431sciescopu

The full-length mitochondrial genome of Tachysurus fulvidraco (Siluriformes: Bagridae) from Geum river in Korea

The full-length mitochondrial genome of the yellow catfish, Tachysurus fulvidraco was analyzed by the primer walking method. Its assembled mitochondrial genome was found to be 16,527 bp, consisting of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA gens, and 2 rRNA gens). The gene content and order of T. fulvidraco were congruent with those of typical vertebrate fishes. In the phylogenetic tree, it showed the closet relationship to the another conspecific specimen from China and Pseudobagrus koreanus and well separated from the other species in the family Bagridae