scholarly journals Changes in Anterior and Posterior Corneal Elevation in Patients With Allergic Conjunctivitis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Fei Yu ◽  
Ziqing Feng ◽  
Weihua Li ◽  
Naiyang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Conjunctivitis ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Ocular Allergy ◽  
Corneal Surface ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Central Location ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
Elevation Difference

Purpose: To evaluate corneal elevation changes in patients with allergic conjunctivitis (AC) and to analyze their correlations with ocular allergy signs and corneal biomechanical alterations.Methods: Thirty patients (30 eyes) with AC and twenty normal subjects (20 eyes) were included in this prospective study. All participants underwent a complete ocular examination, including corneal tomography by Pentacam and corneal biomechanics evaluation by Corvis ST. AC patients were evaluated for their eye rubbing frequency and ocular allergic signs.Results: The elevation at the thinnest location (TE) and the central location (CE), the elevation difference at the thinnest location (TED) and the central location (CED), and the mean value of elevation difference in the central 4 mm zoom (MED) of both the anterior and posterior corneal surface were significantly higher in the AC group than in the normal group (p < 0.05 for all). In AC patients, only anterior corneal elevation parameters were positively correlated with eye rubbing frequency and ocular allergy sign severity (p < 0.05 for all), while the tomography and biomechanical index (TBI) was positively correlated with the elevation parameters of both the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces (p < 0.05 for all).Conclusion: AC patients carry an increased risk of corneal ectasia. Posterior corneal elevation parameters are sensitive and reliable predictors of keratoconus (KC) risk in AC patients.Clinical Trial Registration:https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04299399, identifier [NCT04299399].

CORRELATION OF SERUM MAGNESIUM LEVELS WITH FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE IN TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

2021 ◽  
pp. 16-18
Author(s):  
Nishanth Kumar ◽  
Malathi R D ◽  
Ramadevi M
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
Fasting Plasma Glucose ◽  
Serum Magnesium ◽  
Fasting Blood Glucose ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Fasting Plasma ◽  
Increased Risk

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder of multifactorial origin characterized by hyperglycemia and disturbances of glucose , fat and protein metabolism. Hypomagnesemia is been associated with chronic and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Magnesium deciency in diabetes is known to be associated with increased risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications. The aim of this study is to estimate fasting plasma glucose and serum magnesium levels and to assess the correlation of hypomagnesemia with abnormal fasting plasma glucose values. Material and Methods: The study was done at Government Medical College, Nizamabad. 80 subjects were recruited out of whom 40 apparently normal persons were taken as control group and the second group of 40 patients with known history of diabetes. The fasting plasma glucose(FPG) was estimated by GOD-POD method and serum Magnesium(Mg) levels were estimated using the Chemchek Mg kit which is based on Xylidyl Blue with ACTS method. Results :The mean values of fasting plasma glucose was 87.1 mg/dL in non diabetics when compared to 159.4 mg/dL in diabetics while Serum magnesium levels in control subjects had a mean value of 2.19mg/dLand 1.8mg/dLin diabetics. The data was analysed and found to be statistically signicant with a negative correlation between plasma magnesium and fasting blood glucose. Conclusion: There is signicant hypomagnesaemia which correlates increased fasting plasma glucose values in diabetics when compared to non diabetics and therefore assessing the serum magnesium levels may help in reducing risk of complications.

The Susceptibility of Healthy People to COVID-19 Infection and the Role of ACE2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Kushkestani ◽  
Mohsen Parvani ◽  
Bakhtyar Tartibian ◽  
Rasoul Eslami
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Ace2 Gene

The COVID-19 virus has caused many deaths of people worldwide since the pandemic began. However, no definitive treatment for this infection has been discovered so far. It has been shown that comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are associated with an increased risk of SARS-COV-2 infection. Interestingly, SARS-COV-2, like SARS-COV, uses the ACE2 gene to enter the host cell. Also, changes or imbalance in ACE2.ACE can affect SARS-COV-2 susceptibility, related outcomes and mortality. Regarding the crucial role of ACE2 protein in COVID-19 infection, the effect of different factors such as age, BMI, physical activity levels, nutritional status, altitude, as well as blood group was assessed on the level of this protein. Further, to our knowledge, no study has been conducted to examine factors that increase or decrease the risk of COVID-19 and its related severity and outcome in normal subjects emphasizing the pivotal role of ACE2. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate the involved mechanisms of ACE2 protein and other risk factors causing infection in different situations and finally, to introduce a safe, accurate, and cost-effective approach to prevent SARS-COV-2 infection and hard clinical outcomes in normal subjects.

Decreased anticoagulant response to tissue factor pathway inhibitor in patients with venous thromboembolism and otherwise no evidence of hereditary or acquired thrombophilia

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (01) ◽  
pp. 80-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Piccapietra ◽  
Johanna Boersma ◽  
Joerg Fehr ◽  
Thomas Bombeli
Keyword(s):  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Venous Thrombosis ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Crude Odds Ratio ◽  
Sensitivity Ratio ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Anticoagulant Response ◽  
Acquired Thrombophilia

SummaryNo relevant deficiency of TFPI or genetic polymorphisms could thus far consistently be associated with venous thromboembolism. We hypothesized that the substrates of the TFPI protein, including FVII or FX (rather than the protein itself) could induce a hypercoagulable state. We created a novel TF-based clotting assay that evaluated the anticoagulant response to exogenously added recombinant TFPI. The response to TFPI was expressed as the ratio of the clotting time with and without TFPI. By using 118 healthy controls, we established a reference range between 1.31 and 1.93 (mean value ± 2 standard deviations (SD), 1.62 ± 0.31). We then evaluated samples from 120 patients with a history of venous thromboembolism but no evidence of hereditary and acquired thrombophilia. The range of the patients’ ratios was significantly (P < 0.001) lower, falling between 1.2 and 1.78 (mean value ± 2 SD, 1.49 ± 0.29). Of the 120 patients, 39 (32.5%) had a TFPI sensitivity ratio below the 10th percentile of the controls, compared with 11 (9.3%) of the healthy controls. The crude odds ratio for venous thrombosis for subjects with a TFPI sensitivity ratio below the 10th percentile was 13 (95% CI; range, 3.1 to 54.9) compared with those with a ratio above 1.8 (90th percentile). Patients with idiopathic thromboembolism did not have a decreased TFPI sensitivity ratio more often than patients with thrombosis with a circumstantial risk factor. Based on these results, a reduced response to TFPI may lead to an increased risk of venous thrombosis.

scholarly journals Potential Prognostic Impact of Dopamine Receptor D1 (rs4532) Polymorphism in Post-stroke Outcome in the Elderly

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hae-Yeon Park ◽  
Youngkook Kim ◽  
Hyun Mi Oh ◽  
Tae-Woo Kim ◽  
Geun-Young Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dopamine Receptor ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Minor Allele ◽  
Prognostic Impact ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Unique Identifier ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Increased Risk

Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may affect post-stroke motor recovery, and some SNPs have been implicated in swallowing disturbances after stroke. Certain SNPs may also have altered influences according to different age.Objective: This post-hoc study investigated whether SNPs have different effects on dysphagia recovery between the elderly vs. young stroke patients.Methods: Analysis was conducted from a previous study including 218 stroke subjects with dysphagia. They were stratified into two groups, aged &lt;65 and aged ≥65 years. The primary outcome was persistence of nil per mouth (NPM) at 3 months post-stroke onset. Association between outcome and nine different SNPs were investigated.Results: The elderly group (50%, n = 103) showed poorer swallowing outcomes than the young group. The minor allele of the dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1, rs4532) polymorphism showed potential association (p = 0.022) with an increased risk of NPM at 12 weeks post-stroke in the elderly, both in the additive (OR, 2.94; 95% CI, 1.17–7.37) and dominant models (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.04–8.23) but did not reach statistical significance after Bonferonni correction. Logistic regression analysis showed that in those aged ≥65 years, models including the minor allele of rs4532 predicted the risk of the poor outcome with good accuracies even after adjustment of clinical factors, such as previous pneumonia episodes (AUROC, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.79–0.93) or the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (AUROC, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67–0.92). In contrast, those aged &lt;65 years seemed not to be affected by the presence of the rs4532 polymorphism, and models that included intubation history (AUROC, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73–0.90) or previous pneumonia episodes (AUROC, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68–0.87) showed modest levels of accuracies in predicting NPM at 12 weeks poststroke.Conclusions: Our study suggests a possible association between the rs4532 and post-stroke swallowing recovery, primarily in those aged ≥65 years. Certain SNPs may lead to less favorable outcomes in the elderly. The gene–age interaction should be considered in post-stroke swallowing recovery.Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.clinicaltrials.gov, Unique identifier [NCT03577444].

scholarly journals Geodetic Mass Balance of Haxilegen Glacier No. 51, Eastern Tien Shan, from 1964 to 2018

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Chunhai Xu ◽  
Zhongqin Li ◽  
Feiteng Wang ◽  
Jianxin Mu ◽  
Xin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Tien Shan ◽  
Glacier Mass Balance ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Elevation Changes ◽  
Geodetic Mass Balance

The eastern Tien Shan hosts substantial mid-latitude glaciers, but in situ glacier mass balance records are extremely sparse. Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 (eastern Tien Shan, China) is one of the very few well-measured glaciers, and comprehensive glaciological measurements were implemented from 1999 to 2011 and re-established in 2017. Mass balance of Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 (1999–2015) has recently been reported, but the mass balance record has not extended to the period before 1999. Here, we used a 1:50,000-scale topographic map and long-range terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data to calculate the area, volume, and mass changes for Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 from 1964 to 2018. Haxilegen Glacier No. 51 lost 0.34 km2 (at a rate of 0.006 km2 a−1 or 0.42% a−1) of its area during the period 1964–2018. The glacier experienced clearly negative surface elevation changes and geodetic mass balance. Thinning occurred almost across the entire glacier surface, with a mean value of −0.43 ± 0.12 m a−1. The calculated average geodetic mass balance was −0.36 ± 0.12 m w.e. a−1. Without considering the error bounds of mass balance estimates, glacier mass loss over the past 50 years was in line with the observed and modeled mass balance (−0.37 ± 0.22 m w.e. a−1) that was published for short time intervals since 1999 but was slightly less negative than glacier mass loss in the entire eastern Tien Shan. Our results indicate that Riegl VZ®-6000 TLS can be widely used for mass balance measurements of unmonitored individual glaciers.

scholarly journals Association of Serum Uric Acid Levels in Meige’s Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haochen Guan ◽  
Zhi Geng ◽  
Weijie Yuan ◽  
Bowen Chang
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Impact

Uric acid (URIC) is a natural antioxidant, and it has been shown that low levels of URIC could be a risk factor for the development of Parkinson’s disease. Our aim was to investigate whether URIC also plays a role in Meige’s syndrome (MS). We conducted a cohort study to compare serum URIC levels between patients with MS and healthy controls. In addition, we analyzed the impact of URIC on the risk of MS and symptom severity. Compared with normal subjects, URIC content was remarkably decreased in MS patients. In addition, URIC was regarded as a protective factor for MS, as verified by multivariate logistic regression models. We also found non-linear relationships between the levels of serum URIC and the incidence rate of MS and the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale score. Our study is the first to show a connection between serum URIC levels and MS. Low serum URIC levels indicate an increased risk of MS incidence and more severe clinical symptoms. Our findings provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of MS.

Corneal neovascularisation following deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty for corneal ectasia: incidence, timing and risk factors

2021 ◽  
pp. bjophthalmol-2021-319339
Author(s):  
Marco Pellegrini ◽  
Vincenzo Scorcia ◽  
Giuseppe Giannaccare ◽  
Andrea Lucisano ◽  
Sabrina Vaccaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Lamellar Keratoplasty ◽  
Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty ◽  
Topical Steroids ◽  
Ocular Allergy ◽  
Early Discontinuation ◽  
Corneal Ectasia ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, timing and risk factors of corneal neovascularisation (NV) after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) for corneal ectasia.MethodsThis study included 616 eyes who underwent DALK between 2012 and 2020 in two tertiary referral centres. In one centre topical corticosteroids were discontinued after complete suture removal 1 year after surgery, whereas in the other they were discontinued 3–4 months after surgery. The presence and severity of corneal NV was ascertained based on slit lamp photographs. Potential risk factors for corneal NV were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsThe cumulative incidence of corneal NV was 8.7% at 1 year after surgery and 13.2% at 5 years. Mean time interval from surgery to development of corneal NV was 12.8±16.2 months, with 68.9% of cases occurring before complete suture removal. Early discontinuation of topical steroids, older age and ocular allergy were associated with an increased risk of developing corneal NV (respectively, HR=2.625, HR=1.019, HR=3.726, all p<0.05).ConclusionsThe risk of corneal NV is higher in the first year following DALK. Early discontinuation of topical steroids, ocular allergy and older age are significant predictors of corneal NV.

Effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on jejunal absorption of magnesium in patients with chronic renal disease

1980 ◽  
Vol 238 (4) ◽  
pp. G349-G352 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Schmulen ◽  
M. Lerman ◽  
C. Y. Pak ◽  
J. Zerwekh ◽  
S. Morawski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
Chronic Renal Disease ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Normal Serum ◽  
Perfusion Technique ◽  
Dihydroxyvitamin D3 ◽  
Jejunal Absorption ◽  
The Mean

These studies were performed to see if jejunal malabsorption of magnesium in patients with chronic renal disease was influenced by therapy with 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3; 2 microgram/day by mouth for 7 days]. This treatment restored normal serum concentrations of the vitamin D metabolite from 0.9 +/- 0.2 to 4.2 +/- 0.6 ng/dl. Jejunal absorption of magnesium, measured by a triple-lumen constant-perfusion technique, was enhanced in each of the seven patients by this therapy. The mean value rose from 0.04 +/- 0.02 to 0.13 +/- 0.02 mmol . 30 cm-1 . h-1. This last value is similar to the magnesium absorption rate in untreated normal subjects. These results demonstrate that magnesium absorption in the human jejunum is dependent on vitamin D, and they show that 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 therapy in patients with chronic renal failure is associated with an enhanced jejunal absorption of magnesium.

scholarly journals Predicting pregnancy outcomes from homocysteine level: an evidence from a North Indian study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1487
Author(s):  
Shaina Chamotra ◽  
Kushla Pathania ◽  
S. K. Verma ◽  
Ankit Chaudhary
Keyword(s):  
Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Homocysteine Level ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Intrauterine Death ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Causal Pathway ◽  
Mother And Child ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a major cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Though the etiology of spectrum of vascular disorders of pregnancy is still not understood completely, yet abnormally elevated homocysteine level has been implicated in the causal pathway and pathogenesis. Hyperhomocysteinemia has been significantly associated with increased risk of poor maternal and foetal outcomes in terms of PIH, abruption, IUGR, recurrent pregnancy loss, intrauterine death and prematurity.Methods: The present prospective study was conducted among 180 pregnant women (57 exposed and 123 non exposed) in Kamla Nehru State Hospital for Mother and Child, IGMC Shimla, Himachal Pradesh with an objective of determining association of abnormally elevated homocysteine level in pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Socio-demographic, clinical, biochemical including homocysteine level, laboratory, ultrasonographic parameters and foeto-maternal outcomes of pregnancy of all the participants were documented.Results: The mean homocysteine level of exposed group (23.26±10.77 µmol/L) was significantly higher than the unexposed group (8.99±2.47 µmol/L). Among hyperhomocysteinemic subjects, 10.5% had abruption, 15.8% had PRES and 8.7% PPH which was significantly higher than normal subjects. Similarly, patients with homocysteinemia had significantly higher proportion (21.3%) of poor Apgar score, more (41.9%) NICU admissions and higher frequency (4.7%) of meconium aspiration syndrome.Conclusions: The present study generates necessary evidence for associating abnormally elevated homocysteine levels with pregnancy related hypertensive ailments and adverse pregnancy outcomes. It further demands the need of robustly designed studies and trials to further explore the phenomenon. Moreover, it emphasizes on a simple and timely intervention like estimating the much-neglected homocysteine levels during pregnancy which can definitely contribute in predicting and preventing adverse perinatal outcomes.

scholarly journals Serum alkaline phosphatase levels and the risk of new-onset diabetes in hypertensive adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Zhang ◽  
Chun Zhou ◽  
Jianping Li ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Di Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Fasting Glucose ◽  
Serum Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Onset Diabetes ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
New Onset

Abstract Background The association between alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and incident diabetes remains uncertain. Our study aimed to investigate the prospective relation of serum ALP with the risk of new-onset diabetes, and explore possible effect modifiers, in hypertensive adults. Methods A total 14,393 hypertensive patients with available ALP measurements and without diabetes and liver disease at baseline were included from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT). The primary outcome was new-onset diabetes, defined as physician-diagnosed diabetes or use of glucose-lowering drugs during follow-up, or fasting glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L at the exit visit. The secondary study outcome was new-onset impaired fasting glucose (IFG), defined as FG < 6.1 mmol/L at baseline and ≥ 6.1 but < 7.0 mmol/L at the exit visit. Results Over a median of 4.5 years follow-up, 1549 (10.8%) participants developed diabetes. Overall, there was a positive relation of serum ALP and the risk of new-onset diabetes (per SD increment, adjusted OR, 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.14) and new-onset IFG (per SD increment, adjusted OR, 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.14). Moreover, a stronger positive association between baseline ALP (per SD increment) with new-onset diabetes was found in participants with total homocysteine (tHcy) < 10 μmol/L (adjusted OR, 1.24; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.40 vs. ≥ 10 μmol/L: adjusted OR, 1.03; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.10; P-interaction = 0.007) or FG ≥ 5.9 mmol/L (adjusted OR, 1.16; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.27 vs. < 5.9 mmol/L: adjusted OR, 1.00; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.08; P-interaction = 0.009) Conclusions In this non-diabetic, hypertensive population, higher serum ALP was significantly associated with the increased risk of new-onset diabetes, especially in those with lower tHcy or higher FG levels. Clinical Trial Registration-URL Trial registration: NCT00794885 (clinicaltrials.gov). Retrospectively registered November 20, 2008.

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