Serum leptin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease and hypertensive heart disease: An observational cross-sectional study

The relationship between epigenetic biomarkers and the risk of diabetes and cancer: a machine learning modeling approach

Introduction

Epigenetic biomarkers are molecular indicators of epigenetic changes, and some studies have suggested that these biomarkers have predictive power for disease risk. This study aims to analyze the relationship between 30 epigenetic biomarkers and the risk of diabetes and cancer using machine learning modeling.

Methods

The data for this study were sourced from the NHANES database, which includes DNA methylation arrays and epigenetic biomarker datasets. Nine machine learning algorithms were used to build models: AdaBoost, GBM, KNN, lightGBM, MLP, RF, SVM, XGBoost, and logistics. Model stability was evaluated using metrics such as Accuracy, MCC, and Sensitivity. The performance and decision-making ability of the models were displayed using ROC curves and DCA curves, while SHAP values were used to visualize the importance of each epigenetic biomarker.

Results

Epigenetic age acceleration was strongly associated with cancer risk but had a weaker relationship with diabetes. In the diabetes model, the top three contributing features were logA1Mort, family income-to-poverty ratio, and marital status. In the cancer model, the top three contributing features were gender, non-Hispanic White ethnicity, and PACKYRSMort.

Conclusion

Our study identified the relationship between epigenetic biomarkers and the risk of diabetes and cancer, and used machine learning techniques to analyze the contributions of various epigenetic biomarkers to disease risk.

Baroreflex afferent function is a part of insights of Leptin-mediated blood pressure reduction and Leptin-resistance hypertension

The aim of this study is to verify the impact of Leptin in blood pressure (BP) regulation and Leptin-resistance in metabolic/neurogenic hypertension through baroreflex afferents and dysregulation. Artery BP/heart rate (HR) were measured while nodose (NG) microinjection of Leptin, membrane depolarization/inward current were obtained by whole-cell patch from NG neurons isolated from adult female rats. Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) tested with PE/SNP, distribution/expression of Leptin/receptors in the NG/nucleus tractus solitary (NTS) examined using immumostaining and qRT-PCR, and serum concentrations of Leptin/NE measured by ELISA were observed in control and high fructose-drinking induced hypertension (HTN-HFD) rats. The results showed that BP was significantly/dose-dependently reduced by Leptin NG microinjection likely through direct excitation of female-specific subpopulation of Ah-type neurons showing a potent membrane depolarization/inward currents. Sex-specific distribution/expression of OB-Ra/OB-Rb in the NG were detected with estrogen-dependent manner, similar observations were also confirmed in the NTS. As expected, BRS was dramatically decreased in the presence of PE/SNP in both male and female rats except for the female with PE at given concentrations. Additionally, serum concentration of Leptin was elevated in HFD-HTN model rats of either sex with more obvious in females. Under hypertensive condition, the mean fluorescent density of OB-R and mRNA expression for OB-Ra/OB-Rb in the NG/NTS were significantly down-regulated. These results have demonstrated that Leptin play a role in dominant parasympathetic drive via baroreflex afferent activation to buffer Leptin-mediated sympathetic activation systemically and Leptin-resistance is an innegligible mechanism for metabolic/neurogenic hypertension through baroreflex afferent dysregulation.