scholarly journals ACTIVITY OF SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE ENZYME IN EARLY AND ADVANCED STAGES OF NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (03) ◽  
pp. 90-92
Author(s):  
Gunterus Evans ◽  
Abdul Kadir ◽  
Riskiana Djamin ◽  
Abdul Qadar Punagi ◽  
Sutji P. Rahardjo ◽  
...  

Introduction:Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) ranks - fourth among all cancers in Indonesia. Objective:This study aimed to determine the levels of SOD in patients with NPC. Material and methods : This was a cross sectional study of analytic observational, using consecutive sampling, with 45 patients with NPC and 15 controls. Results: Average of SOD enzyme levels were higher in the NPC patient group (± 1877.87224 1137.119495) compared with the control group (± 441.42120 320.355669) (p <0.05). SOD enzyme levels were higher in advanced stage ± 2060.67363 1179.147923 compared with early stage ± 1338.86685 680.958439 (p <0.05). Conclusion: The level of SOD enzyme in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer is higher than in the control group, and the level is higher in the advanced stage group than in the early stage group.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 5861
Author(s):  
Simone Bellavia ◽  
Irene Scala ◽  
Marco Luigetti ◽  
Valerio Brunetti ◽  
Maurizio Gabrielli ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a predominantly respiratory syndrome. Growing reports about a SARS-CoV-2 neurological involvement, including autonomic dysfunction (AD), have been reported, mostly in critically-ill patients, or in the long-COVID syndrome. In this observational, cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence of AD in 20 non-critically-ill COVID-19 patients (COVID+ group) in the acute phase of the disease through a composite instrumental evaluation consisting of Sudoscan, automated pupillometry, heart rate variability (HRV), and pulse transit time (PTT). All the parameters were compared to a control group of 20 healthy volunteers (COVID− group). COVID+ group presented higher values of pupillary dilatation velocities, and baseline pupil diameter than COVID− subjects. Moreover, COVID+ patients presented a higher incidence of feet sudomotor dysfunction than COVID− group. No significant differences emerged in HRV and PTT parameters between groups. In this study we observed the occurrence of autonomic dysfunction in the early stage of the disease.


Author(s):  
Quratul-Ain Zafar

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare workers in Pakistan in terms of psychological factors emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout. Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at different hospitals across Pakistan and data collection was carried out from 15th June 2020 till 15th August 2020. Material and Methods: This was a questionnaire-based study aiming to compare the levels of burnout and emotional distress between frontline COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare workers. Any physician, nurse, and other healthcare workers were recruited from emergency care units and Covid-19 care units (target group), and non-COVID-19 care units (control group). Participation was voluntary and participants had to complete self-reported questionnaires and scales. A mixed-mode data collection was carried out, either in paper or web-based form to ensure maximum participation. Results: The independent t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding depression, stress, and insomnia. The study group showed higher scores for these factors than the control group. Chi-square test of association revealed significant scores of burnout and professional fulfillment in both groups. There was a higher prevalence of burnout in the study group than in the control group. Conclusion: This study concludes that there was a significant psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the frontline healthcare workers measured in terms of emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 803-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Vimercati ◽  
Luigi De Maria ◽  
Francesca Mansi ◽  
Antonio Caputi ◽  
Giovanni M. Ferri ◽  
...  

Background: Thyroid diseases occur more frequently in people exposed to ionizing radiation, but the relationship between occupational exposure to ionizing radiation and thyroid pathologies still remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of thyroid diseases in healthcare workers exposed to low-level ionizing radiation compared with a control group working at the University Hospital of Bari, Southern Italy, and living in the same geographical area, characterized by mild iodine deficiency. Methods: We ran a cross-sectional study to investigate whether healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation had a higher prevalence of thyroid diseases. Four hundred and forty-four exposed healthcare workers (241 more exposed, or “A Category”, and 203 less exposed, or “B Category”) and 614 nonexposed healthcare workers were enrolled during a routine examination at the Occupational Health Unit. They were asked to fill in an anamnestic questionnaire and undergo a physical examination, serum determination of fT3, fT4 and TSH, anti-TPO ab and anti-TG ab and ultrasound neck scan. Thyroid nodules were submitted to fine needle aspiration biopsy when indicated. Results: The prevalence of thyroid diseases was statistically higher in the exposed workers compared to controls (40% vs 29%, adPR 1.65; IC95% 1.34-2.07). In particular, the thyroid nodularity prevalence in the exposed group was approximately twice as high as that in the controls (29% vs 13%; adPR 2.83; IC95% 2.12-3.8). No statistically significant association was found between exposure to ionizing radiation and other thyroid diseases. Conclusion: In our study, mild ionizing radiation-exposed healthcare workers had a statistically higher prevalence of thyroid diseases than the control group. The results are likely due to a closer and more meticulous health surveillance programme carried out in the ionising radiation-exposed workers, allowing them to identify thyroid alterations earlier than non-exposed health staff.


2021 ◽  
pp. 036354652098781
Author(s):  
Mathias Paiva ◽  
Lars Blønd ◽  
Per Hölmich ◽  
Kristoffer Weisskirchner Barfod

Background: Tibial tubercle–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance is often used as a measure of lateralization of the TT and is important for surgical planning. Purpose: To investigate if increased TT-TG distance measured on axial magnetic resonance images is due to lateralization of the TT or medialization of the TG. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 84 knees (28 normal [NK], 28 with trochlear dysplasia [TD], and 28 with patellar dislocation without TD [PD]) were examined. The medial border of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) was chosen as the central anatomic landmark. The distance from the TT to PCL (TT-PCL) was measured to examine the lateralization of the TT. The distance from the TG to the PCL (TG-PCL) was measured to examine the medialization of the TG. Between-group differences were investigated by use of 1-way analysis of variance. Results: The mean values for TT-TG distance were 8.7 ± 3.6 mm for NK, 12.1 ± 6.0 mm for PD, and 16.7 ± 4.3 mm in the TD group ( P < .01). The mean values for TT-PCL distance were 18.5 ± 3.6 mm for NK, 18.5 ± 4.5 mm for PD, and 21.2 ± 4.2 mm in the TD group ( P = .03). The mean values for TG-PCL distance were 9.6 ± 3.0 mm for NK, 7.1 ± 3.4 mm for PD, and 5.1 ± 3.3 mm in the dysplastic group ( P < .01). Conclusion: The present results indicate that increased TT-TG distance is due to medialization of the TG and not lateralization of the TT. Knees with TD had increased TT-TG distance compared with the knees of the control group and the knees with PD. The TT-PCL distance did not differ significantly between groups, whereas the TG-PCL distance declined with increased TT-TG.


Author(s):  
Yuya Uragami ◽  
Kazuhiro Takikawa ◽  
Hajime Kareki ◽  
Koji Kimura ◽  
Kazuyuki Yamamoto ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Frailty is an urgent concern among an aging population worldwide. However, the relationship between frailty and number and types of medications has not been studied in detail among early-stage older patients, and it is unclear what prescriptions may have a role in preventing frailty. This study aimed to clarify the effects of number of medications and use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) on frailty among early-stage older outpatients in Japan. Methods A cross-sectional study was undertaken. Frailty scores and medications of outpatients aged 65–74 years who regularly visited community pharmacies were investigated. Frailty scores were classified as 0 (non-frailty), 1–2 (pre-frailty), and ≥ 3 (frailty). The association between frailty and number of medications was analyzed by age and compared between PIM use and non-use groups. The proportion of patients who used PIMs was also analyzed by frailty score. Results Of 923 older outpatients, 49 (5.3%) and 318 (34.5%) patients had frailty and pre-frailty scores, respectively. The numbers of medications among patients with pre-frailty and frailty were significantly higher than among those with non-frailty (p <  0.001 for both). A similar increase was shown for PIM use groups aged 69–71 and 72–74 years, but not for the PIM use group aged 65–68 years and all groups without PIM use. An increasing linear trend was observed for the relationship between the proportion of patients who used any PIM, as well as some subcategories of PIMs (such as NSAIDs, benzodiazepines, loop diuretics and antithrombotic drugs) and frailty score. Conclusions Unnecessary medication use among early-stage older outpatients, especially patients aged ≥69 years who use PIMs and many medications, seems to be associated with frailty, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Altynay Balmukhanova ◽  
Kairat Kabulbayev ◽  
Harika Alpay ◽  
Assiya Kanatbayeva ◽  
Aigul Balmukhanova

Background and objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is a complex medical and social issue around the world. One of the serious complications is mineral-bone disorder (CKD-MBD) which might determine the prognosis of patients and their quality of life. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) is a phosphaturic hormone which is involved in the pathogenesis of CKD-MBD. The purpose of the study was to determine what comes first in children with CKD: FGF-23 or phosphate. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 73 children aged 2–18 years with CKD stages 1–5. We measured FGF-23 and other bone markers in blood samples and studied their associations. Results: Early elevations of FGF-23 were identified in children with CKD stage 2 compared with stage 1 (1.6 (1.5–1.8) pmol/L versus 0.65 (0.22–1.08), p = 0.029). There were significant differences between the advanced stages of the disease. FGF-23 correlated with PTH (r = 0.807, p = 0.000) and phosphate (r = 0.473, p = 0.000). Our study revealed that the elevated level of FGF-23 went ahead hyperphosphatemia and elevated PTH. Thus, more than 50% of children with CKD stage 2 had the elevating level of serum FGF-23, and that index became increasing with the disease progression and it achieved 100% at the dialysis stage. The serum phosphate increased more slowly and only 70.6% of children with CKD stage 5 had the increased values. The PTH increase was more dynamic. Conclusions: FGF-23 is an essential biomarker, elevates long before other markers of bone metabolism (phosphate), and might represent a clinical course of disease.


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