Publications

Abstract Insulin is the major endocrine hormone responsible for regulating whole-body glucose homeostasis by regulating glucose uptake in insulin-sensitive tissue. Obesity is one of the main factors initiating the development of insulin resistance through increased adipose tissue size, inflammation, and ectopic fat deposition in insulin-sensitive tissues. Inflammation and fat accumulation are key drivers for losing […]

Abstract Psoriatic disease (PsD) is a complex, heterogeneous disease with unmet medical needs in terms of its diagnosis, management, and prognosis. The identification of biomarkers could improve the implementation of precision medicine in PsD, but to date, none of these biomarkers have been clinically validated. Biomarkers can support clinical trials in several ways, including (1) […]

Abstract Dietary intake has an important influence on rates of fuel use during exercise, but the extent to which short-term diet changes affect peak fat oxidation (PFO) and the intensity at which this occurs (Fat) is unknown. This study examined the impact of diet-induced changes in substrate availability on PFO and Fat and the expression […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Non-invasive tests (NITs) are central to diagnosing and stratifying risk in steatotic liver disease (SLD). However, it remains unclear whether guideline-recommended NIT cut-offs apply to metabolic and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD). AIM Evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of five NITs in patients with MetALD. METHODS Single-centre study with 423 SLD patients, of […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Fibrostenotic stricturing disease affects 30-50% of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), leading to intestinal resection. Currently, there exists a great medical need to identify biomarkers related to fibrostenotic strictures for optimized patient management. Thus, we investigated PRO-C16 as a biomarker for intestinal fibrosis in patients with CD. METHODS Human serum from two independent […]

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Betaine, 20 g/day for 12 months, reduced liver injury in several trials in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Our aim was to determine the safety and efficacy of lower doses of betaine in clinically diagnosed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and an elevated ALT. APPROACH AND RESULTS We performed 3 pilot trials in […]

Abstract OBJECTIVES In systemic sclerosis patients (SSc), we aimed at exploring the potential of serum biomarkers of fibrosis and immune-cell activity to detect subclinical heart involvement determined by electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations. METHODS A panel of extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover biomarkers quantifying type III and VI collagen formation (PRO-C3 and PRO-C6), type IV collagen turnover (PRO-C4), […]

Abstract BACKGROUND The obstructive phenotype of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), is diagnosed after lung transplantation (LTx) when irreversible airway obstruction is already present. This study aimed to investigate biomarkers indicative of aberrant repair resulting in a fibrotic response and inflammation signals in the serum of patients with BOS. METHODS LTx patients transplanted […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Asthma is characterized by airway obstruction driven by chronic inflammation, leading to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. This involves ECM alterations, including increased collagen deposition and elastolysis, resulting in airway wall thickening and irreversible airflow limitation. Despite ECM remodeling’s known role in asthma, no reliable tools track these changes, and the genetic and environmental […]

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly of the small airways and parenchyma. COPD lungs exhibit an influx of circulating innate immune cells, which, when isolated, display impaired functions, including imbalanced protease secretion. In addition to immune cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in COPD pathology. Remodeling […]