Given a passage, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
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Question: Genetic variability in hepatic uptake was recently shown to influence the disposition and cholesterol-lowering effects of statins. Ezetimibe, an inhibitor of the intestinal cholesterol uptake protein Niemann-Pick C 1 like 1, is another drug for which genetic polymorphisms of hepatic organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) are expected to be of clinical relevance because ezetimibe undergoes intensive enterohepatic circulation for which hepatic uptake transporters may be rate-limiting determinants.', 'Using OATP1B3-, OATP2B1-, and OATP1B1-transfected HEK cells, including the OATP1B1 variants OATP1B1*1b and OATP1B1*5, we measured the uptake of ezetimibe and its glucuronide and we analyzed the competition with the common OATP-substrate bromosulfophthalein. Disposition and sterol-lowering effects of 20-mg ezetimibe were measured in 35 healthy participants genotyped for OATP1B1, ABCB1, ABCC2, and UGT1A1.', 'Ezetimibe glucuronide inhibited bromosulfophthalein uptake in all OATP-transfected cells (50% inhibitory concentration (IC50): 0.14-0.26 mumol/l) whereas ezetimibe was 30-100 times less potent. Only the glucuronide was accumulated significantly in cells expressing OATP1B1 and OATP2B1. Its uptake in cells expressing OATP1B1*1b and *5 was reduced. In-vivo studies showed there was a gene-dose-dependent decrease in the area under the curve of ezetimibe in participants with the OATP1B1*1b protein (*1a/*1a, N=12, 112+/-66 ngxh/ml vs. *1a/*1b, N=8, 88+/-39 ngxh/ml vs. *1b/*1b, N=5, 55+/-18 ngxh/ml; Jonkheere-Terpstra, P=0.041) and a tendency for increased glucuronide exposure (704+/-296 vs. 878+/-369 vs. 1059+/-363 ngxh/ml; P=0.092). Fecal ezetimibe excretion was significantly decreased whereas renal glucuronide excretion was increased in carriers of *1b/*1b. Fecal excretion was also diminished in carriers of OATP1B1*5 and *15. The sterol-lowering effect of ezetimibe was not influenced by OATP1B1 polymorphisms.

Answer: Is disposition of ezetimibe influenced by polymorphisms of the hepatic uptake carrier OATP1B1?

Question: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of FDG-PET following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on treatment planning and survival in patients with oesophageal cancer (OC).', 'Fifty-three consecutive OC patients had a post-treatment PET scan to evaluate tumour response to CRT prior to possible surgery. Baseline pre-CRT PET was performed in 33 patients. Prospectively recorded post-CRT management plans were compared with post-PET treatment. High impact was defined as a change in treatment intent or modality. Survival was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier product limit method and Cox proportional hazards regression model.', 'After completion of CRT, 23/53 patients (43%) achieved complete metabolic response (CMR), as compared with only four (8%) with complete response on computed tomography. High PET impact was observed in 19 patients (36%). CMR was strongly predictive of survival (p<0.008) on multivariate analysis. CMR patients in whom resection was not performed had comparable survival to those (CMR and non-CMR) who underwent resection.

Answer: Does fDG-PET status following chemoradiotherapy provide high management impact and powerful prognostic stratification in oesophageal cancer?

Question: Arterial stiffness is an independent determinant of cardiovascular risk, and arterial stiffening is the predominant abnormality in systolic hypertension. Elastin is the main elastic component of the arterial wall and can be degraded by a number of enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and MMP-2. We hypothesized that elastase activity would be related to arterial stiffness and tested this using isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) as a model of stiffening and separately in a large cohort of healthy individuals.', 'A total of 116 subjects with ISH and 114 matched controls, as well as 447 individuals free from cardiovascular disease were studied. Aortic and brachial pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index were determined. Blood pressure, lipids, C-reactive protein, MMP-9, MMP-2, serum elastase activity (SEA), and tissue-specific inhibitor 2 of metalloproteinases were measured. Aortic and brachial PWV, MMP-9, MMP-2, and SEA levels were increased in ISH subjects compared with controls (P=0.001). MMP-9 levels correlated linearly and significantly with aortic (r=0.45; P=0.001) and brachial PWV (r=0.22; P=0.002), even after adjustments for confounding variables. In the younger, healthy subjects, MMP-9 and SEA were also independently associated with aortic PWV.

Answer:
Are matrix metalloproteinase-9 ( MMP-9 ) , MMP-2 , and serum elastase activity associated with systolic hypertension and arterial stiffness?