29, 146.94 and 120.84 mm3 and the smallest values belong to Nyctereutes procyonoides (28.2 mm3), V. rueppelli (27.86 mm3) and V. zerda (20.65 mm3). The independent contrasts correlation showed that there is no correlation between BVQ and BFQ (r = 0.14/P = 0.46), as well as no correlation between BFQ and BF (r = 0.22/P = 0.26), which indicates the efficiency of the size correction. Bite force and brain volume estimates are much higher in the group hunting hypercarnivores (Lycaon, Cuon and Speothos) and only these showed correlation between BFQ and BVQ. Our results indicate that cranial adaptations

for hypercarnivory also influence braincase size. “
“Anthropogenic structures, such as wall surfaces, may change the acoustic environment Selleck ABT 263 for signals transmitted by animals, creating novel environments that animals must either adapt to or abandon. Animals can potentially use those structures to manipulate sound characteristics. In many anuran species, successful reproduction depends on long-range propagation and perception of advertisement calls. Callers may select natural perches or human-made objects to assist call propagation. Male Mientien tree frogs Kurixalus idiootocus

frequently perch and call in roadside concrete drainages – miniature urban canyons. We used a combination of field and indoor experiments to test two hypotheses: (1) transmission of calls emitted inside drains is enhanced; (2) males selected medchemexpress perches inside drains that facilitated call transmission. A field survey indicated Dinaciclib research buy that male Mientien tree frogs preferred calling inside rather than outside drains. A playback showed that calls emitted from inside drains were enhanced in both amplitude and note duration. In an indoor experiment using a

replica of a concrete drain, males preferred one particular type of call perch. However, we found no difference in sound properties between random locations inside the drain model and the perch location preferred by calling males. “
“In species with alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), males employing different tactics usually have different appearance. The clearest difference is body size: bourgeois males that monopolize access to females are larger than sneaker males that steal fertilizations from them. Sneakers are also known to be often dull in colour compared with bourgeois males and rather resemble females. However, this typical colour pattern is unlikely in the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus mondabu: we observed sneaking by two distinctive colour morphs, namely, black (which is apparently conspicuous against the background) and white (which is apparently background-matching). Because breeding females are black, this observation indicates that one type of sneakers contrasts female appearance. In this study, we conducted field studies to determine the expression of body colour in relation to ARTs in this fish.

The median MELD score 17 (range 6–40). The median 25OHD level was 8 (range 4–36) ng/mL. Most patients (54, 93%) had vitamin D deficiency. Normal 25OHD level was found in only 2 patients (3.5%) while two patients (3.5%) had vitamin D insufficiency. There was no correlation between 25OHD levels and the etiology of cirrhosis or MELD scores. However, 25OHD levels were significantly lower in CTP class B and C than in CTP class A (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Most patients of cirrhosis, irrespective of etiology, have vitamin D deficiency. The vitamin D levels further decreases as the severity of cirrhosis progresses from CTP class A to CTP class B and C. These patients may have increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures,

and response to vitamin D supplementation should Pexidartinib mw see more be further studied. Key Word(s): 1. Vitamin D Level; 2. Vit D deficiency; 3. Liver Cirrhosis; 4. 25-hydroxy vitamin D; Presenting Author: METIN BASARANOGLU Additional Authors: AYSEGUL AVAN, YASER SULEYMAN Corresponding Author: METIN BASARANOGLU Affiliations: Ankara YIH; Istanbul Hospital; Acibadem Hospital Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are the two common metabolic disorders in clinical practice. Our objective is to compare clinical and biochemical findings of patients with NAFLD and PCOS. Methods: 1. group:

9 women with well-defined NAFLD and in productive term; MCE 2. group: 12 women with PCOS and 3. group: 7 healthy women as a sex and age matched control group were included. Results: Patients with NAFLD were older than the patients with PCOS (p < 0.05). The BMI of NAFLD patients was more than the PCOS patients (29.4 ± 3.8 kg/m2 vs 25.6 ± 5.2 kg/m2, p < 0.05). In the NAFLD group: 50% of the patients was obese, 36% DM, 83% hyperlipidemia, and 89% of the non-diabetic NAFLD patients were insulin resistant (5 mild, 4 moderate, and 8 severe insulin resistant). In the PCOS group: 33% of the patients was obese, 17% impaired glucose tolerance, 58% hyperlipidemia, 80% of the non-diabetic

PCOS patients were insulin resistant (5 mild and 3 moderate insulin resistant). We compared the non-diabetic PCOS group with the non-diabetic NAFLD group. We found an increased insulin resistance with HOMA-IR (4.1 ± 2.0 vs 2.7 ± 0.8, p < 0.05), and an increased beta-cell function (509 ± 185% vs 98 ± 20%, p < 0.0001) in both group. There was no statistical difference between the PCOS and the controls for BMI, triglyceride, cholesterol, and beta-cell function. 50% of the patients with PCOS who had fatty liver by abdominal ultrasound had no serum aminotransferase abnormalities. Conclusion: This study showed that metabolic abnormalities were common in both patients with NAFLD and PCOS. However, metabolic abnormalities were seen in more frequently and severely in patients with NAFLD than in PCOS. Key Word(s): 1. beta cell; 2. nafld; 3. pcos; 4.

As a consequence, the study of AHP and related disorders got a ‘cognitive neuroscience’ make over. This can be detected in at least

four different developments: (a) new theoretical hypotheses were put forward, stemming from philosophical or computational approaches on motor and embodied cognition, that view AHP as a specific disorder of motor awareness rather than a secondary consequence of deficits in other domains (e.g., Berti et al., 2005; Frith, Blakemore & Wolpert, 2000; Heilman, Barret & Adair, 1998); (b) improvements in structural neuroimaging methods, software and statistics allowed lesion mapping studies Atezolizumab research buy to identify brain lesions selectively associated with AHP (Berti et al., 2005; Karnath, Baier & Nägele, 2005); (c) new diagnostic tests and meta-analysis of diagnostic criteria allowed group studies and statistical data about the prevalence of AHP (for reviews see Orfei, Caltagirone & Spalletta, 2009; Jenkinson, Preston & Ellis, 2011); and finally (d) well-controlled, psychophysical experiments Tanespimycin began to supplement clinical descriptions and neuropsychological assessments of patients (see Jenkinson & Fotopoulou, 2010 for review). These developments have undoubtedly advanced our understanding of

AHP. Yet, as aforementioned, it would be a mistake to assume that

the epistemological premises of cognitive neuroscience are free from all the epistemological errors of cognitive neuropsychology. In the case of the study of AHP, contemporary studies seem to have inherited several epistemological premises from cognitive neuropsychology, most notably its strong emphasis on functional 上海皓元 segregation and modularity. Simultaneously, and perhaps most unfortunately, some new studies of AHP portray some older limitations of traditional neuropsychology that cognitive neuropsychology had attempted to avoid, namely naive localizationism and reductionism. For example, while progress in lesion mapping methods has allowed for a more precise identification of the lesion sites selectively associated with AHP, the results of such studies and their interpretations portray a return to strict modularity and a novel reductionism in the field. The labs of Berti (Berti et al., 2005) and Karnath (Baier & Karnath, 2008; Karnath et al., 2005) pioneered studies in which the anatomical extent of brain damage in groups with AHP was compared with that of matched control groups with hemiplegia and neglect. These studies offer minimal details of their patients’ unawareness symptoms, or of the subjective experience of their deficits.

The siRNAs used in this study were mixtures of three siRNAs and were purchased from Santa Cruz (the sequences are not disclosed). The HCV titer was measured as previously described.20 Briefly, HCV infectivity from a 3-day culture supernatant was titrated by an endpoint dilution assay in a 96-well plate. Virus inocula were serially diluted and used to infect six replicate wells of naive IHHs growing in a selleck chemicals llc microtiter plate. Three days post-infection, the cells were washed, fixed with cold methanol, and incubated with a mouse monoclonal NS5A-specific antibody (HL1126, which was kindly provided by Chen Liu) at 4°C overnight. After they were washed

with phosphate-buffered find more saline (PBS), the cells were incubated with anti-mouse immunoglobulin conjugated with Alexa 488 (Invitrogen) for 60 minutes at room temperature and were visualized under a fluorescence microscope. Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), a homologue

of Apg8p essential for autophagy in yeast, is associated with autophagosome membranes after processing and is indispensable for the elongation of autophagic vesicles. Two forms of LC3, LC3-I and LC3-II, are produced posttranslationally in various cells. LC3-I is cytosolic, whereas LC3-II is membrane-bound. Lipidated LC3 (LC3-II) is a useful marker of

autophagic membranes, and autophagosomes are visualized as bright green fluorescent protein (GFP)–LC3 puncta by fluorescence microscopy. As a readout of autophagy induction, cells were transfected with GFP-LC3 as described previously.12 Cells containing three or more GFP-LC3 dots were defined as autophagy-positive cells. For LysoTracker Red staining, the cells were treated with 1 μM LysoTracker Red DND-99 (Invitrogen) at 37°C for 30 minutes. Control IHHs and BCN1-knockdown IHHs (siBCN1 IHHs) or ATG7-knockdown IHHs (siATG7 IHHs) were starved in Hank’s balanced salt solution (Lonza) for 120 minutes in the presence of LysoTracker Red dye. Cells then were fixed in 3.7% formaldehyde, and nuclei were stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole MCE公司 (DAPI; Invitrogen). Three-channel optical images (DAPI, GFP, and LysoTracker Red) were collected with the sequential scanning mode (405-, 488-, and 543-nm excitation, respectively, and 450-, 522-, and 595-nm emission, respectively) of the Olympus FV1000 confocal system. Control IHHs, siBCN1 IHHs, or siATG7 IHHs were infected with HCV and incubated for 72 hours. Total RNA was isolated with the Qiagen RNeasy kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). Complementary DNA was synthesized with a random hexamer and the Superscript III reverse-transcriptase kit (Invitrogen).

Case 1: On the basis of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) findings, PSC was suspected in a 41-year-old woman with jaundice. Computed tomography (CT) showed nodular pulmonary lesions and swollen cervical, mediastinal and para-aortic lymph nodes, the cause of which was unknown despite detailed examinations. Because 5-Fluoracil research buy of rapid deterioration in the patient’s liver function, living donor liver transplantation was performed. She was then diagnosed with hepatic amyloidosis, but died of heart failure due to cardiac amyloidosis 74 days after surgery. Case 2: On the basis of MRCP findings, PSC was suspected in a 49-year-old woman with jaundice. CT showed multiple cystic pulmonary lesions,

and hypogammaglobulinemia was also observed (immunoglobulin Stem Cells inhibitor G, 481 mg/dL). After a biliary plastic stent was placed, liver and lung biopsy confirmed the presence of amyloid deposition. These two cases indicate that it is important to consider hepatic amyloidosis as a differential diagnosis of PSC. The presence of atypical extrahepatic lesions may be useful clues for confirming the diagnosis. “
“Background and Aims:  Many of the ideas on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are derived from studies conducted in Western societies. Their relevance to Asian societies has not been critically examined. Our objectives were to bring to attention important data from Asian studies, articulate the experience and views of our Asian experts, and provide

a relevant guide on this poorly understood condition for doctors and scientists working in Asia.

Methods:  A multinational group of physicians from Asia with special interest in IBS raised statements on IBS pertaining to symptoms, diagnosis, epidemiology, infection, 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 pathophysiology, motility, management, and diet. A modified Delphi approach was employed to present and grade the quality of evidence, and determine the level of agreement. Results:  We observed that bloating and symptoms associated with meals were prominent complaints among our IBS patients. In the majority of our countries, we did not observe a female predominance. In some Asian populations, the intestinal transit times in healthy and IBS patients appear to be faster than those reported in the West. High consultation rates were observed, particularly in the more affluent countries. There was only weak evidence to support the perception that psychological distress determines health-care seeking. Dietary factors, in particular, chili consumption and the high prevalence of lactose malabsorption, were perceived to be aggravating factors, but the evidence was weak. Conclusions:  This detailed compilation of studies from different parts of Asia, draws attention to Asian patients’ experiences of IBS. “
“Current normative data of high-resolution manometry have been obtained from Western populations, and esophageal motility disorders have been categorized using Chicago classification.

As increased optimization of 3T occurs one would expect further improvements in sensitivity and validity. Our preliminary results indicate that brain 3T FLAIR lesion detection likely was not sufficient to uncover the full extent of clinically relevant tissue damage, as correlations with both clinical and cognitive measures CB-839 nmr remained moderate. Consistent with this hypothesis, we have reported separately that 3T FLAIR lesion assessments do not capture the full extent of white matter pathology, which can be detected with advanced MRI measures such as T2 relaxometry.46 Additional techniques useful for detecting diffuse occult damage, such as diffusion tensor imaging,47,48 magnetization transfer,49 and MR spectroscopy,50

have shown relationships with cognitive measures. Brain activation and adaptive cortical changes related to cognitive function between MS patients and normal controls are also being elucidated with functional MRI.51 Volumetric MRI analysis also has shown promise in helping to link cognitive impairment and MS-related damage, such as regional atrophy in the hippocampus,52 thalamus,53 and general gray matter42 showing stronger correlations

than conventional measures. “
“We report the case of a 67-year-old man with repeating cerebral embolism caused by a dolichoectatic right common carotid artery. The patient had a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking, and a postoperative abdominal aortic aneurysm. He presented www.selleckchem.com/products/R788(Fostamatinib-disodium).html with a sudden onset of weakness of the left arm and leg. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed old and fresh infarction in the right cerebral hemisphere. Carotid duplex ultrasonography showed a dolichoectatic right common carotid artery with a maximum diameter of 39 mm with thick plaque and strong spontaneous echo contrast. MCE The flow velocity was considerably reduced, which caused thrombus formation, and strong antithrombotic therapy was required. This case provides a rare example of ischemic stroke caused by extracranial carotid artery dolichoectasia.

Dolichoectasia is a dilatative arteriopathy characterized by an increase in the arterial length and diameter that causes ischemic stroke.1986 Dolichoectasia most frequently involves the vertebrobasilar artery, and occurs less often in the intracranial carotid artery and middle cerebral artery (MCA).2003, 1998 Extracranial carotid artery (ECA) dolichoectasia is particularly rare, but can cause ischemic events. Ischemic stroke induced by dolichoectasia is associated with penetrating branch territory infarcts such as those in the pons.1998, 2003 Transcranial Doppler (TCD) studies of dolichoectatic arteries show reduced blood flow velocities1987 that can induce thrombus formation within the dilated lumen, and the luminal thrombus can embolize distally.1999 Here, we report the case of a patient with a dolichoectatic common carotid artery (CCA) that caused repeated embolism.

, 2003). Frontal-executive functions are known to include the ability to plan ahead and to overcome impulsive behaviour. It would therefore follow that frontal-executive impairments would correlate with the occurrence of relapses. Unfortunately, no studies to date have provided convincing data to support this proposal (Bowden, Crews, Bates, Fals-Stewart, & Ambrose, 2001). A recent study by Loeber et al. (2010) demonstrated a negative effect on cognitive function and recovery in 31 patients. However, they did not show a correlation with the occurrence of relapses, and included participants with a relatively positive prognosis. In contrast, the study presented here examined

only patients with a history of being resistant to therapy, who can therefore be assumed to have a negative prognosis. Our study thus provides preliminary support for a negative Barasertib association between frontal-executive deficits and future prognosis, although

further longitudinal data and replication with larger cohorts buy Venetoclax are required. A clinical implication may be drawn from these results based on data indicating that cognitive deficits tend to improve with abstinence (Fals-Stewart & Lam, 2010). It may hence be assumed that patients with subtle executive deficits may benefit most from long-term therapeutic options rather than from frequent detoxifications. It is also noteworthy that the cognitive deficits manifested solely in more dedicated neuropsychological tests (TMT and RWT), and would therefore probably have been missed by routine clinical tests. Similarly, while patients did not fulfil the ICD10 criteria for depressive syndrome, they reported significantly more depressive features 上海皓元 in the BDI questionnaire

compared with controls. These depressive tendencies may have aggravated executive impairments, but also would not have been detected in routine clinical tests. In summary, the study presented here found that severely alcohol-dependent subjects who have experienced recurrent withdrawals display subtle cognitive deficits. These deficits occurred primarily in the frontal-executive domain, while memory functions and visuospatial capacities were largely spared. Our pilot study therefore suggests that extensive cognitive testing might be a helpful additional tool in assessing therapy-resistant heavy drinkers. Future trials will elucidate the influence these cognitive deficits have on prognosis and quality of life. “
“Impulse control disorders (ICDs) and apathy are recognized as two important neuropsychiatric syndromes associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but as yet we understand very little about the cognitive mechanisms underlying them. Here, we review emerging findings, from both human and animal studies, that suggest that impulsivity and apathy are opposite extremes of a dopamine-dependent spectrum of motivated decision making.

Previous studies have showen that

mindin is important in both innate and adaptive immunity. As an ECM, Mindin affects cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation in different cell type. However, its role during the colon cancer development remains unknown. Methods: To define the function of mindin in carcinogenesis of colon check details cancer, we established the stable cell pools with mindin knockdown or overexpressed based on mice syngenic colorectal CMT93 and CT26 cancer cell line. A model of subcutaneously transplanted stable cell pools in C57BL/6 mice was used to monitor the tumor growth. Results: Silencing of the mindin in CMT93 and CT26 cells showed enhanced abilities of migration, invasion and proliferation compared to the control cells in vitro. In contrast, mindin overexpression cell pools showed the reduction

of migration, invasion and proliferation. Furthermore, we observed that in vivo tumor growth in C57BL/6 mice, and consistent with in vitro finding that mindin knockdown colorectal cancer cells showed the significant greater tumor growth, and overexpression of mindin in colorectal cancer cells attenuated tumor growth compared with control group. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of Erk1/2 were upregulated in both of mindin knockdown cells and tumor tissues, and downregulated in the mindin overexpressing cells

and tumor tissues compared to the control groups. Conclusion: Our data revealed the novel tumor suppressive function selleck chemicals of mindin during colon cancer development medchemexpress and suggested that mindin might be applied as a novel theraputic target for colorectal cancer. Key Word(s): 1. Mindin; 2. Colon cancer; 3. MAPK/ERK; Presenting Author: BAYASI GULENG Additional Authors: YUN-PENG LIU, JIAN-LIN REN Corresponding Author: BAYASI GULENG Affiliations: Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Xiamen University Objective: EGFR activation and PKM2 expression are instrumental in tumorigenesis. EGFR activation regulates PKM2 functions in a subcellular compartment-dependent manner and promotes gene transcription and tumor growth. In addition, PKM2 is upregulated in EGFR-induced pathways in glioma malignancies. However, we found that PKM2 could also regulate the activity of the EGF/EGFR signaling pathway in gastric cancer cells. We aimed to define the biological mechanisms for PKM2 in regulating the cell motility and invasion. Methods: We employed stable transfection with short hairpin RNA to stably silence the expression of PKM2 in the BGC823, SGC7901 and AGS gastric cancer cell lines. The effects of PKM2 in vitro were determined by assessing cell migration and invasion. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to explore the relationship among PKM2 and other proteins.

Serum microRNA levels from selected mice were also examined using the Human miRNA Oligo chip. Results: Pairwise comparisons revealed a number of short and long-term differences in microRNA expression between in response to HBV and HCV infection. Fuzzy c-means cluster analysis was MAPK Inhibitor Library supplier used to identify patterns in microRNA expression among the 5 experimental groups. MicroRNA gene targets were predicted based on agreement among two or more algorithms. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to characterize predicted targets in each cluster. HCV infection resulted in earlier and more sustained microRNA up-regulation than HBV infection. Several distinct

patterns of microRNA expression were detected. Predicted gene targets RO4929097 mouse were significantly associated with pathways involving the innate and adaptive immunity,

platelet activation, and cellular stress responses. MicroRNA levels between liver and serum samples were correlated, but a subset of microRNAs showed pathogen-specific serum profiles. Conclusions: Analysis of early and late changes in microRNA expression following HBV versus HCV infection revealed distinct profiles. Better understanding of differences in the pathogenesis of HBV versus HCV infection might help to improve response to therapy. Disclosures: Kazuaki Chayama – Consulting: Abbvie; Grant/Research Support: Dainippon Sumitomo, Chugai, Mitsubishi Tanabe, DAIICHI SANKYO, Toray, BMS, MSD; Speaking and Teaching: Chugai, Mitsubishi Tanabe, DAIICHI SANKYO, KYORIN, Nihon Medi-Physics, BMS, Dainippon Sumitomo, MSD, ASKA, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Eisai, Olympus, GlaxoSmithKline, ZERIA, Bayer, Minophagen, JANSSEN, JIMRO, TSUMURA, Otsuka, Taiho, Nippon Kayaku, Nippon Shinyaku, Takeda, AJINOMOTO, Meiji Seika, Toray The following people have nothing to disclose: C. Nelson Hayes, Sakura Akamatsu, Masataka Tsuge, Daiki Miki, Nobuhiko

Hiraga, Hiromi Abe, Michio Imamura, Shoichi Takahashi, Hidenori Ochi Background: Despite evidence that bacterial translocation from the gut is associated with liver disease progression in end-stage cirrhotic patients, microbial translocation in patients with earlier stages of liver disease has not been well characterized. Aim: To investigate the effect of microbial translocation MCE公司 on liver disease progression by measuring bacterial and fungal products and the immune response in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) patient serum. Methods: Seventy subjects were included: 15 patients with Ishak fibrosis score=0, 15 Ishak=5, 20 Ishak=6 (Child-Pugh A), and 20 healthy donors. The two most recent samples from each patient were included. Assays were performed to quantify three microbial products: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for gram-negative bacteria, peptidoglycan for gram-positive bacteria, and (1->3)-beta-D-glucan (BDG) for fungus.

In multivariate analyses for risk factors of HCC, sex and histological stage were selected as the only significant factors among male sex, old age, low serum albumin levels, low serum total cholesterol levels, advanced histological stage and symptomatic status raised by comparative GDC 0068 analyses. By multivariate analyses for risk factors of HCC by sex, histological stage at the time of PBC diagnosis was an independent risk factor for

HCC in females (Table 2), whereas no significant independent factors were selected in males (Table 3). With respect to histological stage, there was no difference in the proportion of males and females who underwent histological staging at the time PF-01367338 solubility dmso of PBC diagnosis (Fig. 2). The incidence of histological stages 3 and 4 was approximately 16.0% in male and female patients with PBC without HCC (Fig. 2), whereas it was 14.2% and 57.1%

in male and female patients with PBC with HCC, respectively.[1, 22] Advanced histological stage was a risk factor for HCC in females but not in males (Fig. 2, Tables 2,3). Therefore, male patients with PBC should be followed up to consider the possibility of complication with HCC in any PBC stage. AT THE 47TH Annual Meeting of the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan, the survey of 178 patients with PBC with HCC (100 fatalities in the past years and 78 patients followed up) revealed that the proportion of males was 27.5% (49 males and 129 females), which was similar to that from the National Survey of PBC in Japan. The average age at the time of PBC diagnosis was higher for males (68 years) than for females (62 years), but the time of HCC diagnosis was similar between males (73 years) and females (72 years; Fig. 3). Moreover, the duration between the diagnosis of PBC and that of HCC was shorter in males than 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 in females (Fig. 3). HCC was simultaneously diagnosed

during or before PBC diagnosis in 32.7% (16/49) of males and 14.7% (19/129) of females. Clinicopathological data at the time of HCC diagnosis are shown in Table 4. There were more males with previous HBV infection and a history of alcohol consumption than females. There were no differences with respect to the history of blood transfusion, diabetes mellitus, antimitochondrial antibody levels, antinuclear antibody levels, body mass index, serum triglyceride levels, serum total cholesterol levels associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), and use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; Table 4) between males and females. However, an analysis excluding patients with previous HBV infection and a history of alcohol consumption revealed no difference in other clinical findings, although the proportion of males (male/female = 24/104, 18.5%) remained higher than that of the male patients with PBC (male/female = 370/2576, 12.6%).