scholarly journals Analysis of Psychological and Gut Microbiome Characteristics in Patients With Non-erosive Reflux Disease

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Yang ◽  
Xin-hui Xie ◽  
Xi Li ◽  
Hui-na Liao ◽  
Bing Zou

Objective: To assess the correlation between the incidence of non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and psychological factors, especially somatoform disorders. To investigate the characteristics of gut microbiome in NERD patients.Methods: We enrolled 24 NERD patients and 24 healthy controls. All patients were evaluated via GerdQ, SOMS-7, SAS, HAMA, and HAMD. Fecal samples were collected and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to evaluate the gut microbiome composition.Results: The main symptoms of the NERD patients were regurgitation (87.5%), belching (66.7%), pharyngeal discomfort (50%), and heartburn (37.5%). The average score of GerdQ was 13.42 ± 3.41. In 15 patients (62.5%), the total score of the last two items was <3 points, while the average score of 24 patients was 3.63 ± 2.32. NERD patients with somatoform disorders accounted for 50%. There were 17 patients without anxiety, 6 patients with mild anxiety (25%), 1 patient with moderate anxiety (4.2%), and no patient with severe anxiety. There were 22 patients (91.7%) without depression, 2 patients (8.3%) with mild depression, and no patient with moderate or severe depression. The alpha diversity of NERD group was higher than HC, which showed significant difference (P < 0.05). The beta-diversity was significantly different between HC and NERD patients (P = 0.026), male and female patients (P = 0.009). The beta-diversity was also significantly different between male and female patients (P = 0.009). There were several bacteria with significant differences between HC and NERD group, and NERD patients with or without somatoform disorders, such as Firmicutes, TM7 were enriched in the NERD group compared with the healthy control group, while Bacteroidetes were enriched in the healthy controls.Conclusions: NERD symptoms overlap with somatoform disorders. NERD symptoms have an impact on the daily life quality of patients. Some of them are accompanied by anxiety and depression of different degrees, and the two are significantly correlated. The diversity of gut microbiome in patients with NERD is significantly higher than healthy controls, which has its characteristics. The predominant bacteria in gut microbiome of patients with NERD are similar to the healthy population, with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the main ones. The composition of gut microbiome in NERD patients with or without somatoform disorder is significantly different, which may be related to the interaction of microbiome-brain-gut axis.

QJM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeer I Abd Elmagid ◽  
Hala Abdel Al ◽  
Wessam El Sayed Saad ◽  
Seham Kamal Mohamed

Abstract Background Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and one of the most important causes of death among them.Angiogenesis is an important step for primary tumor growth, invasiveness, and metastases. Angiopoietins are well-recognized endothelial growth factors that are involved in angiogenesis associated with tumors. Aim To explore the diagnostic significance of serum angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in breast cancer and to evaluate its prognostic efficacy through studying the degree of its association with the TNM staging of the disease. Patients and Methods This study was conducted on (35) Egyptian female patients who were diagnosed as breast cancer according to histopathological examination of breast biopsy (Group 1, Breast Cancer Patients) and (25) female patients with benign breast diseases (Group II, Pathological Control Patients), in addition to (20) age - matched apparently healthy, free mammogram, females serving as healthy controls (Group III, Healthy Controls). For all participants, measurement of serum Ang-2 was done using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results A highly significant increased levels of Ang-2 was observed in breast cancer patients when compared to healthy control group (Z = 4.95, p < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in Ang-2 levels between breast cancer patients group and pathological control group (Z = 3.37, p > 0.05). No significant difference was detected in Ang-2 levels in relation to TNM stage and histological grade. No significant correlation was found between Ang-2 levels and serum levels of CA15-3, hormone receptors, HER2/new receptor status (p > 0.05, respectively). Conclusion This study revealed that Ang-2 serum levels were significantly increased in patient with breast cancer compared with healthy controls, indicating that high Ang-2 level is a promising non invasive biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis. However, no significant difference of Ang-2 levels was detected in relation of breast TNM staging in the population studied.


Author(s):  
Frank Faltraco ◽  
Denise Palm ◽  
Adriana Uzoni ◽  
Lena Borchert ◽  
Frederick Simon ◽  
...  

AbstractA link between dopamine levels, circadian gene expression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has already been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of these relationships by measuring circadian gene expression in primary human-derived dermal fibroblast cultures (HDF) after dopamine exposure. We analyzed circadian preference, behavioral circadian and sleep parameters as well as the circadian gene expression in a cohort of healthy controls and participants with ADHD. Circadian preference was evaluated with German Morningness-Eveningness-Questionnaire (D-MEQ) and rhythms of sleep/wake behavior were assessed via actigraphy. After ex vivo exposure to different dopamine concentrations in human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cultures, the rhythmicity of circadian gene expression (Clock, Bmal1, Per1-3, Cry1) was analyzed via qRT-PCR. We found no statistical significant effect in the actigraphy of both groups (healthy controls, ADHD group) for mid-sleep on weekend days, mid-sleep on weekdays, social jetlag, wake after sleep onset, and total number of wake bouts. D-MEQ scores indicated that healthy controls had no evening preference, whereas subjects with ADHD displayed both definitive and moderate evening preferences. Dopamine has no effect on Per3 expression in healthy controls, but produces a significant difference in the ADHD group at ZT24 and ZT28. In the ADHD group, incubation with dopamine, either 1 µM or 10 µM, resulted in an adjustment of Per3 expression to control levels. A similar effect also was found in the expression of Per2. Statistical significant differences in the expression of Per2 (ZT4) in the control group compared to the ADHD group were found, following incubation with dopamine. The present study illustrates that dopamine impacts on circadian function. The results lead to the suggestion that dopamine may improve the sleep quality as well as ADHD symptoms by adjustment of the circadian gene expression, especially for Per2 and Per3.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Makrouhi Sonikian ◽  
Aggeliki Barbatsi ◽  
Eugenia Karakou ◽  
Theodoros Chiras ◽  
Jacob Skarakis ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are widely used as markers of inflammation and infection in general population and in chronic hemodialysis (HD) as well. However, in dialysis (D) patients, serum CRP and PCT levels may be elevated even in the absence of inflammatory or infectious disease and diagnostic process is a challenge in such cases. We studied HD patients' laboratory profile concerning CRP and PCT. Subjects and Methods We studied 25 stable HD patients, M/F=22/3, aged 68(44-89) years, dialyzed thrice weekly for 55(6-274) months with a dialysate flow rate of 700 ml/min, with a residual daily diuresis less than 200 ml, Kt/V values of 1,44±0,3 and no signs of infection. Patients were classified in two groups. Group A included 10 patients on pre-dilution online hemodiafiltration (HDF). Group B consisted of 15 patients on conventional HD with low-flux polysulfone membrane. Twenty healthy subjects formed a control group C. Serum CRP and PCT levels were measured in duplicate in A and B groups before and at the end of mid-week dialysis sessions and also in C group. Results Pre-D serum CRP values in the total of patients were higher than those in healthy controls (10,89±19,29 vs 2,54±1,28 mg/L-p=0,004). Compared with group C, pre-D CRP values were higher only in B group (15,98±24,54 mg/L-p=0,001) but not in A group (4,09±3,33 mg/L-p=NS). There was a significant difference in pre-D serum CRP values between A and B groups (p=0,028). At the end of D session serum CRP values showed a tendency to increase in both groups A (5,16±4,81 mg/L) and B (17,00±27,00 mg/L) but differences were not significant. Pre-D serum PCT values in the total of patients were higher than those in healthy controls (0,82±0,9 vs 0,29±0,55 ng/ml-p<0,001). Compared with group C, pre-D PCT values were higher in both A group (0,52±0,15 ng/ml-p<0,001) and B group (1,01±1,13 ng/ml-p=0,006). There was no significant difference in pre-D serum PCT values between A and B groups (p=0,261). At the end of D session serum PCT values decreased in A group (0,32±0,11 ng/ml-p<0,001) and increased in B group (1,12±1,21 ng/ml-p=0,014). Conclusions In patients on both conventional low-flux HD and online HDF pre-D serum CRP and PCT levels were higher than those in healthy subjects. Dialysis modality and membrane flux did not affect post-D serum CRP values, but post-PCT values decreased in online HDF. PCT usefulness might be limited in dialysis with high-flux membranes. Cut-off values have to be established for both markers to eliminate confusion in diagnosis of inflammatory and infectious diseases in hemodialyzed patients.


Author(s):  
Nesma F. Radwan ◽  
Ahmed M. El Khyat ◽  
Adel E. El Gergawy ◽  
Hesham A. Salem

Background: The effect of endometriomas itself on the ovarian responsiveness that relate to ovarian reserve had been reported with several inconsistent results. In one study evaluated women with unilateral endometriomas, ovaries with disease showed lower response to ovarian stimulation than contralateral healthy ovaries .However, recent study on infertile women with un-operated unilateral small endometriomas did not support difference in ovarian responsiveness. The aim was to evaluate the impact of presence of endometriomas on ovarian reserve as measured by circulating AMH. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out on 80 female patients in childbearing period attending outpatient clinic and/or inpatient department of obstetrics and gynecology at Tanat University Hospital and the study was conducted directly after approval in the period from Apri, 2019 till April 2020. Group (A): Study group: 60 female patients aged between 20 to 30 years old GROUP (B): Control group: 20 age matched female with healthy ovaries. Results: there is no statistical significant difference between groups as regard Menarche (years), Regularity and Amount of menstrual blood flow. There is statistical significant difference between groups as regard fixed tender Right Ventricular Failure. But there are no statistical significant differences between groups as regard nodule in rectovaginal septum, fixed tender adnexal masses, association with adenomyosis and infertility. There is highly statistical significant difference between case and control groups as regard AMH levels. there are highly statistical significant positive correlation between duration of endometriosis and each of presence of pelvic pain, cyst diameter and Visual Analogue Scale. Conclusions:    Women with endometrioma have significantly lower serum AMH levels and seem to experience a more rapid decline in serum AMH levels than age matched counterparts, suggesting a harmful effect of endometrioma per se on ovarian reserve.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Setiawan ◽  
Edeh Rolleta Haroen ◽  
Dede Hadidjah

In administering fluoride through drinking water there is the risk of overdose, higher cost and inadequate availability of drinking water containing fluoride in developing countries like Indonesia. A safe fluoride source is contained in toothpaste. The purpose of this research was to obtain data concerning difference in saliva pH before and after brushing with toothpaste containing fluoride and without toothpaste. The research method used was the quasi-experimental method. Samples were collected by the way of purposive sampling, conducted on 43 male and female research subjects. The data were analyzed by statistical analysis using the t test at 95% confidence level. In this research a control group consisting of 43 people was used. Research results indicated that the average saliva pH before brushing was 7.174; after brushing with fluoride containing toothpaste salivary pH was 7.593. Result research of brushing without toothpaste showed an average saliva of 7.163 before brushing and 7.379 after brushing without toothpaste. The average changes in saliva pH before and after brushing using fluoride containing toothpaste was 0.216. The conclusion of this research was that there was significant difference in saliva pH before and after brushing with toothpaste containing fluoride; there was significant difference in saliva pH before and after brushing without toothpaste, and there was significant difference in saliva pH before and after brushing with toothpaste containing fluoride and without toothpaste.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
Sam Roberto Andre Hasian Lumbantobing ◽  
Hilman Pardede ◽  
Herman Herman

This research is a study of improving students’ ability in reading comprehension. The aim was to find out whether the use of Herringbone technique would bring a significant difference in teaching reading comprehension through Recount text, compared with the result before the students being treated. The study was conducted in the tenth grade students of SMA N 4 Pematangsiantar. The research method used was the experimental design, where the Experimental group was the PMIA 3 class, and the PMIA 2 class as the control class. Both of the classes had 34 students in each of it. The data were obtained through pre-test, treatment and post test. The pre-test was held to know the students’ basic ability or score before treatment was given. Meanwhile, the post test was held to know the students’ achievement and significant effect after the students were taught using Herringbone technique. Finding of the research showed that both groups had a significant improvement in their reading ability after being treated and passed the KKM. The Control group, which the pre-test score was 60, made an improvement shown in their post-test score in amount of 70,44. The experimental group, the group which the researcher treated the Herringbone technique to them, had a higher improvement than the control group. The average score of pre-test in this group was about 54,41 where then being improved up to 78,97. The score of t-test (3,981) was higher than t-table (1,668) at the level of significance 5% for two tailed test, so Null Hypothesis is rejected and Alternative Hypothesis is accepted.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Jahanbakhsh Nikoopour ◽  
Roozbeh Kargar ◽  
Nadimeh Esfandiari

<p><em>Research in reading comprehension associates the assumption that readers’ attributes may influence reading comprehension; different readers may process the same text in different ways, depending on their purposes, motivation, attitudes, interests, background knowledge, and the strategies they use. The present study attempted to investigate the impact of teaching cognitive and memory strategies on male and female IELTS candidates’ reading comprehension. To carry out the study, the researcher selected a sample of 88 male and female EFL learners, who attended IELTS preparation classes in Afarinesh English Language Institute regularly. The participants were randomly assigned into three groups; namely, two experimental groups and a control group. Eight memory and cognitive strategies were taught explicitly in the two experimental groups respectively during the treatment, whereas the current usual techniques were being used in the control group. The results showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control group in reading comprehension. The difference between the mean scores of the two experimental groups was not statistically significant. That is, instructing cognitive and memory strategies have had somehow similar impact on the IELTS candidates’ reading comprehension. Finally, the participants’ gender as a moderator variable did not make a significant difference in their reading comprehension.</em></p>


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Γεώργιος Γεωργίου

Βackground: angiogenesis is seen during the multiple stages of carcinogenesis, aswell as during the process of surgical wound healing, a fact which has led tosubstantial debate over the last decades about the potential impact of surgery upon thefinal outcome of ceratin patients treated for breast cancer.Aim: the present research aims at investigating the potential effect of surgery on theprocess of angiogenesis, by studying a number of factors that are related to the latter,in patients suffering from breast cancer before and after the time of the procedure,whilst comparing these results with those of patients that were operated on their breastfor non-malignant disease.Material-Methods: blood from 10 female patients with breast adenocarcinoma(Study Group) was collected via venipuncture before surgery (labeled as PRO), aswell as on post-operative day 3 (labeled as D3) and day 7 (labeled as D7). Moreover,blood samples were also taken from 6 female patients with fibroadenoma (ControlGroup) before surgery (PRO) and on day 3 afetr surgery (D3). These samples weremeasured for detection of circulating levels of three established angiogenesisbiomarkers using ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay): VascularEndothelial Growth Factor-A (VEFG-A), Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and basic FibroblastGrowth factor (bFGF or FGF-2). In addition, circulating transcripts of 84 agiogenesirelatedgenes were determined using RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase ChainReaction). The two groups of patients were firstly compared to each other regardingtheir results. Also, patients belonging to the Study Group were analized at differenttime points regarding surgery. Finally, the results were investigated againstclinicopathological data and patient outcome.Results: using ELISA we were able to detect increased levels of circulating VEGF-Aand IL-8 in the Study Group patients compared to the Control Group patientspreoperatively (p=0,0381 and p=0,0218 respectively), while for bFGF there was nostatistically significant difference documented. Surgery resulted in a significantincrease in VEGF-A levels on D3 (p=0,0389) and D7 (p=0,0172) as compared toPRO levels. Perioperative kinetics of IL-8 showed a mild trend towards increase,which, however, was not statistically significant. Postoperative levels of bFGF wereslightly increased on D3, but on D7 they were even lower than preoperative values(p=0,0205). Using RT-PCR certain differences between the Study Group and theControl Group were recorded regarding the circulating transcripts of a great numberof angiogenesis-related genes preoperatively: upregulation of VEGF-C, EGF, IL-8,FGF-1, SPHK1, NRP1, LAMA5, COL4A3, TEK, EFNA3, EFNB2. AKT1, ITGB3,THBS1, CCL11, TIMP3 and downregulation of CXCL10. Moreover, mastectomyinduced an altered expression in several key-genes in breast cancer patients:upregulation of THBS1, COL4A3, BAI1, ITGB3 and downregulation of EREG,SERPIFN1, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL1B, CCL2, CXCL1, HIF1A, NOTCH4. Conclusions: patients suffering from breast cancer have a different angiogenic profilein comparison to patients with fibroadenoma, as documented through their differencesin circulating levels of angiogenic factors. These levels are greatly changed after thesurgical procedure. VEGF showed a transient increase, while bFGF initially increasedbut only to finally decrease to levels that were even lower than the preoperative ones.Moreover, mastectomy promoted a shift in the expression pattern of a broad panel ofangiogenesis-related gene transcripts.


QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A A Ashour ◽  
A M A Nassef ◽  
E M Awad ◽  
A M Hazzou ◽  
M A Nada ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Epilepsy is a serious common neurological disorder that can affect any age. Cognitive functions are highly prevalent in patients with epilepsy and is more likely to occur in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Associations were found between cognitive functions and brain volume loss in patients with epilepsy. Objective This work was carried out to assess the volumetric changes in brain of epileptic patients to use it as a biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in adult and adolescent patients with epilepsy. Patients and Methods A case control study was conducted to include 61 patients, 20 of which diagnosed with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), 21 with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 20 with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) who were selected from the epilepsy outpatient clinic in Ain Shams university hospitals along with 23 age and sex matched healthy controls. Both cases and control groups were subjected to Magnetic resonance imaging MRI brain volumetry and detailed cognitive testing. An informed consent was taken from each adult patient, guardian of adolescent patient and healthy control. Results Statistically significant difference in comprehension subcategory of the Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS) between patients with IGE and healthy controls denoting poorer social judgment in the IGE group. The IGE group also showed poorer performance in digit symbol subcategory of the same test denoting worse psychomotor speed and sustained attention. Also, significant difference in similarities subcategory was found between TLE group and control group denoting poorer abstract thinking among the TLE group. The IGE and TLE groups also showed lower attention and concentration than control group in the mental control subcategory of the Wechsler memory scale (WMS) yet failed to show superiority over each other. No statistically significant difference was found on comparing the whole brain volume between cases and control groups. A statistically significant direct relationship was found between the arithmetic subcategory of WAIS and the whole brain volume of the patients among the patients of the FLE group. Conclusion Patients with IGE had worse psychomotor speed, sustained attention and concentration than healthy controls in addition to poorer social judgment. Also, patients with TLE showed lower attention and concentration together with poorer abstract thinking despite normal IQ. The study also concluded that increased whole brain volume in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy is associated with better mathematical problem solving.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haroon M. Al Tawarah ◽  
Omar M. Mahasneh ◽  
Nourah A. Al-Hawartheh

The present research was conducted to evaluate the effect of using practical presentations on the achievement of the ninth graders students in pre-vocational education subject in Shobak district schools, in comparison to the prevailing method, and identify whether there are differences attributed to the gender variable. To answer the questions, the study was applied to an experimental sample in two schools of Shobak district consisting of (46) male and female students from the ninth grade for the academic year 2015/2016, who studied the pre-vocational education by using the practical presentation method, and a control group in two schools consisting of (46) students studied by using the lecturing method. The results of the study showed statistically significant differences between mean scores of members of the two groups (the experimental),male and female and (the control), male and female in the post-test application in favor of the of the experimental group that used practical presentations. The results also showed the absence of statistically significant difference at the significance level (0.05) attributed to the gender variable in the achievement of the experimental group.


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