scholarly journals Ultrasonographic Assessment of Entheseal Sites of Upper and Lower Extremities in Hemodialysis Patients using Madrid Sonography Enthesitis Index

Author(s):  
Reham Sabry ◽  
Samar Tharwat ◽  
Mohammed Kamal Nassar ◽  
Ehab E Eltoraby

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) complications are one of the most common health concerns that impact individuals on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). However, little is known about the entheseal involvement in HD patients. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and distribution of entheseal ultrasonographic (US) alterations in HD patients and to evaluate the association between US findings and both clinical and laboratory data.Methods: This study was conducted on 41 HD and 23 sex- and age- matched controls. All HD patients and healthy controls were evaluated clinically to detect any clinical evidence of enthesopathy. Six entheses sites were scanned bilaterally using grey scale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) ultrasonography (US) and were scored using Madrid Sonography Enthesitis Index (MASEI) scoring system. Results:Clinical examination revealed at least one sign suggestive of enthesopathy in 69 (14.02) of 492 entheses in 41 HD patients. HD patients had statistically significant higher scores of stuctural tendon abnormalities (p<0.001), enthesis thickening (p<0.001), bone erosions (p<0.001) and calcification (p=0.037) than healthy controls. Total MASEI score was higher in HD patients than healthy controls (median ;18 vs 8, p<0.001), also, MASEI-inflammatory (median ;11 vs 3, p<0.001) and damage scores (median ;6 vs 0, p<0.001). There was a statistically significant positive association between total MASEI score and both age (p=0.032) and duration of HD (p=0.037). Duration of HD was predictive for both MASEI-damage component (p=0.004) and total MASEI score (p=0.014).Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of asymptomatic enthesopathy in HD patients. The burden of entheseal US alterations is much higher in HD patients than in healthy subjects. US can be helpful in the early detection of entheseal abnormalities. The duration of HD is the most significant predictor of enthesopathy in HD patients.

Author(s):  
Prakash Dudhani ◽  
Sanjay Khandekar

Background: There was a strong correlation between increase in hypertension and changing lifestyle factors. The problem which lies with the hypertension is that it cannot be cured completely. And its management requires lifelong medication with some life-style modifications. Decreased physical activities coupled with increased mental tension are important contributors of hypertension. They are usually seen amongst employees of the profession where working is typically sedentary.  The main objectives were to study on prevalence of hypertension and risk factors among Government Gazetted officers of Maharashtra, India.Methods: A cross sectional study was carried among gazetted officers working in various departments of state Government for a period of one year in Solapur district. 355 Gazetted Government officers of class I & class II cadre were studied. Blood pressure was measured with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Chi-square test was applied to assess risk factors.Results: In present study, the prevalence of hypertension among Gazetted officers was observed 20.28%. There was significant positive association was found between age and prevalence of hypertension. And also it was found significantly higher in men than women. The association between education and hypertension found to be statistically significant (P<0.001), while there was no association between socioeconomic status and hypertension was found (P=0.33). Prevalence of hypertension was noted higher at every level of BMI. Prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in smokers, alcoholic and had significant association (P<0.05).Conclusions: We conclude that, because of high prevalence of hypertension in Gazetted officers, periodically they should be screened for the same.


2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 776-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
PATRICIA MALAFRONTE ◽  
JOSE MAURO VIEIRA ◽  
ALEXANDRE CARLOS PEREIRA ◽  
JOSE EDUARDO KRIEGER ◽  
RUI TOLEDO BARROS ◽  
...  

Objective.To evaluate whether the A/G polymorphism at position −2518 in the regulatory region of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) or the V/I polymorphism at position −64 of the receptor, CCR2, are associated with lupus nephritis (LN) or any clinical characteristics of the disease or with renal survival in a patient population.Methods.We selected 197 patients with lupus nephritis and 220 matched healthy controls for study. MCP-1 and CCR2 genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction. Clinical and laboratory data were compiled from patients’ charts over followup that ranged from 6 months to 10 years.Results.The G/G genotype of MCP-1 was more common in LN patients (p = 0.019), while the A allele was associated with healthy controls (p = 0.007) as was the V allele of CCR2 (p = 0.046) compared to LN patients. Clinical index measures [SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)], immunological markers, renal histology, renal function at enrollment, and renal survival were not influenced by these polymorphisms. A less aggressive renal disease, measured by renal SLEDAI index, was associated with the V allele of the CCR2 gene polymorphism.Conclusion.These findings support that MCP-1 −2518 G/G is associated with LN but there was no association of this genotype with renal function or renal survival. When studying CCR2 −64 V/I polymorphism we showed a positive association of the V allele with healthy controls but no association of the genotype with LN patients.


2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Hendri Wijaya ◽  
Lily Irsa ◽  
Supriatmo Supriatmo ◽  
Sjabaroeddin Loebis ◽  
Rita Evalina

Background High total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levelsand eosinophilia are markers for atopy, but other factors mayalso play a key role in affecting atopy, such as intestinal parasiticinfection. Helminthiasis has been associated with a reduced riskof atopy and asthma symptoms in areas with high prevalence ofparasitic infections.Objective To assess for associations between total serum IgElevel and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) infection, as wellas between STH infection and allergy symptoms.Methods We conducted a cross-sectional stu dy on 84consecutively-enrolled children , aged 7- 13 years, in theSecanggang Subdistrict, Langkat District, North SumateraProvince. Subjects were enrolled into one of two groups, with orwithout STH infection. Total serum IgE measurements and stoolSTH examinations were performed in all subjects. Data on atopyor allergy symptoms were obtained by parental interview.Results The 42 subjects with STH infection had significantlyhigher mean total serum lg E levels than the 42 subjects withoutinfec tion, 1,13 1.26 IU/mL and 744.76 IU/mL, respectiv ely(P = 0.029). We also fo und significant positive association sbetween STH infection and asthma symptoms (P= 0.049), as wellas eczema symptoms (P=0.044).Conclusion Mean total serum IgE level is higher in STHinfectedsubjects than in those without infection. In addition,STH infection is positively associated with asthma and eczemasymptoms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-162
Author(s):  
Pei Pei Soo ◽  

In Malaysia, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was the second highest in Perlis. Prevention and management of DM are largely dependent on self-care in our daily lives. Nonetheless, we have little information concerning factors influencing public engagement in DM self-practice, which might have contributed to the high prevalence of DM in Perlis. This study was conducted to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and factors associated with self-practice towards DM among the public in Kangar, Perlis. A cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2018 for three months. Eligible participants were invited to complete a selfadministered questionnaire in public areas in Kangar. Descriptive analyses on the sociodemographic, medical backgrounds, knowledge, attitudes, and self-practice towards DM were performed. Independent t-test and Spearman’s correlation were performed to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, knowledge, and attitudes with self-practice towards DM. Multiple linear regression was used to adjust for potential confounding variables. A total of 319 respondents consented and participated in this study. Most of the respondents were female (66.5%), Malay (94%), and had tertiary education (51.7%). Overall, most participants had good scores on knowledge (80.3%), attitudes (98.4%), and self-practice (97.2%) towards DM. A statistically significant positive association was found between age, education level, and attitudes score with DM self-practice (p<0.05). This study suggests a well-structured educational program on diabetes self-care should start as early as in school to clarify public misconceptions on DM management.


GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Mechthild Niemann-Mirmehdi ◽  
Andreas Häusler ◽  
Paul Gellert ◽  
Johanna Nordheim

Abstract. To date, few studies have focused on perceived overprotection from the perspective of people with dementia (PwD). In the present examination, the association of perceived overprotection in PwD is examined as an autonomy-restricting factor and thus negative for their mental well-being. Cross-sectional data from the prospective DYADEM study of 82 patient/partner dyads (mean age = 74.26) were used to investigate the association between overprotection, perceived stress, depression, and quality of life (QoL). The analyses show that an overprotective contact style with PwD has a significant positive association with stress and depression, and has a negative association with QoL. The results emphasize the importance of avoiding an overprotective care style and supporting patient autonomy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Christos Kollias ◽  
Panayiotis Tzeremes

Abstract The economic and social drivers of democratisation and the emergence and establishment of democratic institutions are longstanding themes of academic discourse. Within this broad body of literature, it has been argued that the process of urbanisation is also conducive to the emergence and consolidation of democracy through a number of different channels. Cities offer better access to education and facilitate organised public action and the demand for more democratic rule and respect of human rights. The nexus between urbanisation and human rights is the theme that is taken up in the present paper. Using a sample of 123 countries for the period 1981–2011, the paper examines empirically the association between urbanisation and human empowerment using the Cingranelli-Richards Index. In broad terms, the findings reported herein do not point to a strong nexus across all income groups. Nevertheless, there is evidence suggesting the presence of such a statistically significant positive association in specific cases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1061-1082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merve Acar ◽  
Hüseyin Temiz

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the association between environmental performance of firms and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachWe used tobit regression OLS and t-test methods to reveal the association between environmental performance and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure.FindingsWe find a significant positive association between the level of discretionary environmental disclosures and corporate environmental performance. The result is in line with the arguments of economics disclosure theory that argues environmentally good performers disclose more.Practical implicationsMany of the environmentally good firms in Turkey are also listed in the “BIST Sustainability Index,” and this situation can be the result of the relative power of external regulations. Accordingly, it can be suggested to increase the community and governmental pressures for environmental reporting but also gives importance to increase intrinsic motivations for companies to engage in disclosure practices.Originality/valueThis study shed light on relation between environmental performance and environmental disclosure in an emerging market context. Also, it is revisited that the relation between environmental performance and the level of environmental disclosure by testing two different predictions on the level of environmental disclosures.


Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonanni ◽  
Gualtieri ◽  
Lester ◽  
Falcone ◽  
Nardella ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: At present, data collected from the literature about suicide and anhedonia are controversial. Some studies have shown that low levels of anhedonia are associated with serious suicide attempts and death by suicide, while other studies have shown that high levels of anhedonia are associated with suicide. Materials and Methods: For this review, we searched PubMed, Medline, and ScienceDirect for clinical studies published from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2018 with the following search terms used in the title or in the abstract: “anhedonia AND suicid*.” We obtained a total of 155 articles; 133 items were excluded using specific exclusion criteria, the remaining 22 articles included were divided into six groups based on the psychiatric diagnosis: mood disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other diagnoses, attempted suicides, and others (healthy subjects). Results: The results of this review reveal inconsistencies. Some studies reported that high anhedonia scores were associated with suicidal behavior (regardless of the diagnosis), while other studies found that low anhedonia scores were associated with suicidal behavior, and a few studies reported no association. The most consistent association between anhedonia and suicidal behavior was found for affective disorders (7 of 7 studies reported a significant positive association) and for PTSD (3 of 3 studies reported a positive association). In the two studies of patients with schizophrenia, one found no association, and one found a negative association. For patients who attempted suicide (undiagnosed), one study found a positive association, one a positive association only for depressed attempters, and one a negative association. Conclusions: We found the most consistent positive association for patients with affective disorders and PTSD, indicating that the assessment of anhedonia may be useful in the evaluation of suicidal risk.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2169
Author(s):  
Georgia Karpathiou ◽  
Maroa Dridi ◽  
Lila Krebs-Drouot ◽  
François Vassal ◽  
Emmanuel Jouanneau ◽  
...  

Chordomas are notably resistant to chemotherapy. One of the cytoprotective mechanisms implicated in chemoresistance is autophagy. There are indirect data that autophagy could be implicated in chordomas, but its presence has not been studied in chordoma tissues. Sixty-one (61) chordomas were immunohistochemically studied for autophagic markers and their expression was compared with the expression in notochords, clinicopathological data, as well as the tumor immune microenvironment. All chordomas strongly and diffusely expressed cytoplasmic p62 (sequestosome 1, SQSTM1/p62), whereas 16 (26.2%) tumors also showed nuclear p62 expression. LC3B (Microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3B) tumor cell expression was found in 44 (72.1%) tumors. Autophagy-related 16‑like 1 (ATG16L1) was also expressed by most tumors. All tumors expressed mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (M6PR/IGF2R). LC3B tumor cell expression was negatively associated with tumor size, while no other parameters, such as age, sex, localization, or survival, were associated with the immunohistochemical factors studied. LC3B immune cell expression showed a significant positive association with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)+ immune cells and with a higher vascular density. ATG16L1 expression was also positively associated with higher vascular density. Notochords (n = 5) showed different immunostaining with a very weak LC3B and M6PR expression, and no p62 expression. In contrast to normal notochords, autophagic factors such as LC3B and ATG16L1 are often present in chordomas, associated with a strong and diffuse expression of p62, suggesting a blocked autophagic flow. Furthermore, PD-L1+ immune cells also express LC3B, suggesting the need for further investigations between autophagy and the immune microenvironment.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1414
Author(s):  
Moeka Harada ◽  
Rie Kobayashi ◽  
Jun Oka ◽  
Nobuyo Tsuboyama-Kasaoka

In this study investigated the association between health practices and food stockpiling for disasters in predicted areas with a high risk of food shortage due to the Nankai Trough earthquake. A survey was conducted during 18–20 December 2019 using a self-administered web-based questionnaire. In total, 1200 individuals registered with an online survey company participated in the study. The association between health practices and food stockpiling status was analyzed (n = 998). 59.1% of participants had a poor Breslow’s seven health practice scores (BHPS), 32.9% had a moderate score, and 8.0% had a good score. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that higher BHPS had a significantly higher prevalence of food stockpiling. Additionally, the interrupted group had the highest percentage of participants with low BHPS. Lower BHPS was significantly associated with interrupted stockpiled in the adjusted models. Among the seven health practices, the odds ratio of the “eating breakfast” practice was high. There was a significant positive association between higher health practice scores and food stockpiling for disasters in areas with a high risk of food shortage due to the predicted earthquake. Particularly, it was clarified that individuals who had fewer good health practices were associated with ending up interrupting food stockpiling.


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