scholarly journals VITAMIN D IN MENOPAUSE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON 471 WOMEN

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-43
Author(s):  
Catalina Poiana ◽  
◽  
Mara Carsote ◽  
Cristina Capatina ◽  
Valentin Radoi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Previous Diagnosis ◽  
Menopausal Women ◽  
25 Hydroxy Vitamin D ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

Introduction. Vitamin D is intensively studied during the last years. The most useful instrument to assess the vitamin D status is serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH D). Material and method. This is a cross sectional study in menopausal women, between 2008 and 2013 with inclusion criteria: at least 1 year since menopause, age between 40 and 80 years; exclusion criteria: specific therapy for osteoporosis, previous diagnosis of osteomalacia and rickets, primary hyperparathyroidism. Results. 471 subjects were: group 1 with osteopenia and osteoporosis (N = 328) and group 2 with normal DXA (N = 143) which were statistically significant (SS) different regarding the age, body mass index (BMI), years since menopause, bone markers osteocalcin and CrossLaps, with no SS differences between 25-OH D. In group 1: the linear regression coefficient (r) between alkaline phosphatase and 25-OH D was -0.14 (p = 0.01). In group 2: the BMI distribution showed: normal weighted subjects (BMI ≤ 24.9 kg/m2, N = 22, 15%, av. 25-OH D = 19.69 ng/mL), overweighed females (BMI = 25-29.9 kg/m2, N = 56, 39%, av. 25-OH D = 15.11 ng/mL ), obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, N = 65, 46%, av. 25-OH D = 12.11 ng/mL), with SS differences between any 2 subgroups. 25-OH D is not SS different between the subgroups based on decades of years since menopause, regardless the DXA score. Conclusion. Based on our observations, a prevalent low level of vitamin D is registered in menopausal women regardless they have or not osteoporosis and in women with normal DXA the vitamin D level is lower in obsesses versus normal or overweighed patients.

scholarly journals Leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin: inflammatory markers in childhood asthma?

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazan Cobanoglu ◽  
Nilufer Galip ◽  
Ceyhun Dalkan ◽  
Nerin Nadir Bahceciler
Keyword(s):  
Skin Prick Test ◽  
Vital Capacity ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Prick Test ◽  
Previous Diagnosis ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

Background: Appetite-modulating hormones ghrelin and leptin might be relevant to asthma with their pro-inflammatory effects, and calprotectin has been recognized as a promising marker of inflammation. The purpose of this study was to explore whether asthma, atopy and lung functions has a relation with serum levels of leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin as inflammatory markers in children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by searching the doctor diagnosed asthma through questionnaires filled in by parents who were phoned, and children were invited to supply fasting blood samples in order to measure serum levels of leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin, and to perform skin prick test and spirometry. Participants were divided into Group 1, children with previous diagnosis of asthma, and Group 2, children without previous diagnosis of asthma. Results: One thousand and two hundred questionnaires were distributed and 589 of them were returned filled in. Out of 74 children whose parents accepted to participate in the study, 23 were in Group 1 and 51 were in Group 2. There was no statistical difference in serum levels of leptin, ghrelin, calprotectin, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF) , forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75) values , and skin prick test results between the two groups (p values are 0.39, 0.72, 0.5, 0.17, 0.5, 0.27, 0.18, and 0.81 respectively). Conclusion: In this study the inflammation in asthmatic children could not be shown by using serum leptin, ghrelin and calprotectin levels and this is possibly due to the low number of children with ever asthma and equal skin prick test positivity in both groups. This study is the first study aimed to show the relation between serum calprotectin levels and inflammation in asthma. As this study was a cross-sectional study, further prospectively designed randomized controlled studies are necessary to show the association of these markers and inflammation in asthma.

scholarly journals Parathyroid Hormone in Pregnancy: Vitamin D and Other Determinants

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
Ola Hysaj ◽  
Patricia Marqués-Gallego ◽  
Aline Richard ◽  
Magdeldin Elgizouli ◽  
Alexandra Nieters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Parathyroid Hormone ◽  
Inflection Point ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
25 Hydroxy Vitamin D ◽  
Maximal Suppression

We aimed to assess the parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration in pregnant women at the beginning of pregnancy (1st trimester) and within days before delivery (3rd trimester) and evaluate its determinants. From September 2014 through December 2015 in a cross-sectional study, 204 women in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and 203 women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy were recruited. Blood samples were collected to measure PTH and circulating 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations. Lifestyle and demographic data were collected using a questionnaire. Serum 25(OH)D and PTH were inversely correlated in both early and late pregnancy. Our analyses suggest that in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, a 25(OH)D level of 18.9 ng/mL (47.3 nmol/L) could serve as an inflection point for the maximal suppression of PTH. Statistically significant determinants of PTH concentrations in multiple regression were 25(OH)D concentrations, season, multiparity and education of the partner (all p < 0.05) in early pregnancy. In late pregnancy, 25(OH)D concentrations and country of origin were statistically significant determinants of PTH concentrations (all p < 0.05). These factors and their effect on PTH appear to be vastly determined by 25(OH)D; however, they might also affect PTH through other mechanisms besides 25(OH)D.

scholarly journals Role of feasibility and pilot studies in randomised controlled trials: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e022233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Jane Blatch-Jones ◽  
Wei Pek ◽  
Emma Kirkpatrick ◽  
Martin Ashton-Key
Keyword(s):  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trials ◽  
Feasibility Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Pilot Feasibility Study ◽  
Group 1

ObjectivesTo assess the value of pilot and feasibility studies to randomised controlled trials (RCTs) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme. To explore the methodological components of pilot/feasibility studies and how they inform full RCTs.Study designCross-sectional study.SettingBoth groups included NIHR HTA programme funded studies in the period 1 January 2010–31 December 2014 (decision date). Group 1: stand-alone pilot/feasibility studies published in the HTA Journal or accepted for publication. Group 2: all funded RCT applications funded by the HTA programme, including reference to an internal and/or external pilot/feasibility study. The methodological components were assessed using an adapted framework from a previous study.Main outcome measuresThe proportion of stand-alone pilot and feasibility studies which recommended proceeding to full trial and what study elements were assessed. The proportion of ‘HTA funded’ trials which used internal and external pilot and feasibility studies to inform the design of the trial.ResultsGroup 1 identified 15 stand-alone pilot/feasibility studies. Study elements most commonly assessed weretesting recruitment(100% in both groups),feasibility(83%, 100%) andsuggestions for further study/investigation(83%, 100%). Group 2 identified 161 ‘HTA funded’ applications: 59 cited an external pilot/feasibility study wheretesting recruitment(50%, 73%) andfeasibility(42%, 73%) were the most commonly reported study elements: 92 reported an internal pilot/feasibility study wheretesting recruitment(93%, 100%) andfeasibility(44%, 92%) were the most common study elements reported.Conclusions‘HTA funded’ research which includes pilot and feasibility studies assesses a variety of study elements. Pilot and feasibility studies serve an important role when determining the most appropriate trial design. However, how they are reported and in what context requires caution when interpreting the findings and delivering a definitive trial.

scholarly journals Is mercury in Tibetan Medicine toxic? Clinical, neurocognitive and biochemical results of an initial cross-sectional study

2016 ◽  
Vol 242 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Sallon ◽  
Yahav Dory ◽  
Yazeed Barghouthy ◽  
Tsewang Tamdin ◽  
Rigzin Sangmo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Tibetan Medicine ◽  
Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry ◽  
Mercury Toxicity ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

Mercury an important therapeutic substance in Tibetan Medicine undergoes complex “detoxification” prior to inclusion in multi-ingredient formulas. In an initial cross-sectional study, patients taking Tibetan Medicine for various conditions were evaluated for mercury toxicity. Two groups were identified: Group 1, patients taking “ Tsothel” the most important detoxified mercury preparation and Group 2, patients taking other mercury preparations or mercury free Tibetan Medicine. Atomic fluorescence spectrometry of Tibetan Medicine showed mercury consumption 130 µg/kg/day (Group 1) and 30 µg/kg/day (Group 2) ( P ≤ 0.001), levels above EPA (RfDs) suggested threshold (0.3 µg/kg /day) for oral chronic exposure. Mean duration of Tibetan Medicine treatment was 9 ± 17 months (range 3–116) (Group 1) and 5 ± 1.96 months (range 1–114) (Group 2) (NS) with cumulative days of mercury containing Tibetan Medicine, 764 days ± 1214 (range 135–7330) vs. 103 days ± 111 (range 0–426), respectively ( P ≤ 0.001). Comparison of treatment groups with healthy referents (Group 3) not taking Tibetan Medicine showed no significant differences in prevalence of 23 non-specific symptoms of mercury toxicity, abnormal neurological, cardiovascular and dental findings and no correlation with mercury exposure variables; consumption, cumulative treatment days, blood/ urine Hg. Liver and renal function tests in treatment groups were not significantly increased compared to referents, with mean urine Beta2 Microglobulin within the normal range and not significantly associated with Hg exposure variables after correcting for confounding variables. Neurocognitive testing showed no significant intergroup differences for Wechsler Memory Scale, Grooved Pegboard, Visual Retention, but Group1 scores were better for Mini-Mental, Brief Word Learning, Verbal Fluency after correcting for confounding variables. These results suggest mercury containing Tibetan Medicine does not have appreciable adverse effects and may exert a possible beneficial effect on neurocognitive function. Since evidence of mercury as a toxic heavy metal, however, is well known, further analysis of literature on mercury use in other Asian traditional systems is highly suggested prior to further studies.

scholarly journals Soluble Inter-Cellular Adhesion Molecule-1 in Urban Asian North Indians: Relationships with Anthropometric and Metabolic Covariates

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 111-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astha Sethi ◽  
Anoop Misra ◽  
Ravindra Mohan Pandey ◽  
Kalpana Luthra ◽  
J. Rama Devi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Adhesion Molecule ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Urban Slums ◽  
Slum Area ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cellular Adhesion Molecule ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

Background:High prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemias in people belonging to poor socio-economic strata in urban slums of northern India has been recorded recently. To assess whether this population has high levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), a cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, we investigated subjects belonging to poor socio-economic strata in urban slums and compared them to healthy control subjects from non-slum urban areas of New Delhi.Design:Cross-sectional study.Methods:Subjects from a previously carried out cross-sectional study, Delhi Urban Slum Project (DUSP) were divided into two groups: Group-1 (n= 56) included subjects dwelling in slum area, having at least one risk factor (hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia), while group-2 (n= 60) consisted of subjects without any risk factor dwelling in the slum area. A third group (n= 29) of non-obese subjects without any risk factor living in non-slum urban area was included for comparison. Measurements included; body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (W-HR), four skinfolds, percentage body fat, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum lipids, and serum levels of sICAM-1.Results:Though statistically not significant, mean level of sICAM-1 was higher in group-1 (718.5 ± 232.8 ng/ml) as compared to the other groups. Of note, 35% of subjects in group-1 (p< 0.05 as compared to other two groups), and 25.3% of all subjects had levels of sICAM-1 in uppermost quartile (>850 ng/ml). Partial correlation coefficients (R) of sICAM-1 levels with various parameters adjusted for age were statistically significant for BMI (R= 0.27,p< 0.05) in group-1; W-HR (R= 0.26,p< 0.05) and BMI (R= 0.19,p< 0.05) for group-2; and FPG (R= 0.17,p< 0.05) for all the subjects considered together. For females, the levels of sICAM-1 were significantly higher in the following: BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2(p= 0.04) and FPG >7 mmol/l (p< 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis suggests that an increment in BMI by one kg/m2would correspond to an increase in the levels of sICAM-1 by 8.5 units controlling for the influence of age and W-HR in the pooled data of all subjects.Conclusions:High percentage of subjects had levels of sICAM-1 in the upper quartile in the study, particularly those dwelling in the slum area and having coronary risk factor (s). The levels of sICAM-1 strongly correlated to the anthropometric and metabolic parameters, particularly in females. These observations are of potential importance for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in this population, though further studies are needed to predict those prone to the complications of atherosclerosis, based on sICAM-1 levels, as has been observed in other ethnic groups.

scholarly journals Assessment of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Post-Coronavac Vaccination in the Amazon Region of Brazil

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1169
Author(s):  
Carlos David Araújo Bichara ◽  
Maria Alice Freitas Queiroz ◽  
Ednelza da Silva Graça Amoras ◽  
Gergiane Lopes Vaz ◽  
Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres Vallinoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Receptor Binding Domain ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Humoral Immune ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Group 1

The present study evaluated the frequency of seropositivity for anti-SARS-CoV-2 (S1 and S2) total antibodies and anti-SARS-CoV-2 (receptor binding domain-RBD-S1) neutralizing antibodies in individuals vaccinated with the immunizing agent Coronavac. This was a cross-sectional study involving 358 individuals divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 205 volunteers who were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies; group 2 consisted of 153 individuals tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Seropositivity was greater than 70% in both groups, although 17.6% and 20.9% of individuals showed no neutralizing or total antibody reactivity, respectively. The frequency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies displayed a significantly different distribution between the sexes but not according to age. The frequency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies was 93.3% (95% CI 68.1–99.8) in the age group from 21 to 40 years but significantly decreased with advancing age, and was 76.2% (95% CI 52.8–91.8) for 41 to 60 years, 72.5% (95% CI 62.8–80.9) for 61 to 80 years, and 46.7% (95% CI 21.3–73.4) for >80 years. Our results reveal a high prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies and anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in individuals who received both doses of the Coronavac vaccine, suggesting a lower effectiveness of the humoral immune response among those older than 60 years of age, which might be associated with senescence of the immune system.

scholarly journals Association between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level and gastric adenocarcinoma – a cross sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arulraj Kevin ◽  
Amaranathan Anandhi ◽  
Subitha Lakshminarayanan ◽  
Sathasivam Sureshkumar ◽  
Sadishkumar Kamalanathan
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Gastric Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
25 Hydroxy Vitamin D

scholarly journals Adverse pathophysiological influence of early testosterone therapy on the testes of boys with higher grade sex chromosome aneuploidies (HGAs): a retrospective, cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Spaziani ◽  
C. Tarantino ◽  
C. Pozza ◽  
A. Anzuini ◽  
F. Panimolle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Testicular Volume ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Testosterone Therapy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hormone Profile ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Group 1

Abstract Purpose Higher grade aneuploidies (HGAs) of the male sex chromosomes are a rare genetic group of pathologies caused by nondisjunction meiotic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of early androgenic therapy on the testicular secretory hormone profile, and the pathophysiological implications. Patients and methods In this cross-sectional study, 18 HGA subjects aged 6–8 years were recruited. They were divided into two groups, based on whether or not they had previously undergone testosterone therapy (group 1: 11 untreated subjects; group 2: 7 treated subjects). Serum FSH, LH, testosterone (T), inhibin B (INHB) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) were determined, and auxological parameters were assessed. Five group 1 patients and four group 2 patients were treated with hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) for inguinal cryptorchidism; their hormone profile and auxological parameters were assessed both pre- and post-hCG treatment. Results Group 1 subjects showed significantly higher testicular volume and higher levels of AMH and INHB (p < 0.0001). Subjects who had undergone hCG therapy showed a significantly higher testicular volume, penis length (respectively, p = 0.008 and p = 0.0005 for group 1 and p = 0.04 and p = 0.001 for group 2) and T (p = 0.005 for group 1 and p = 0.004 for group 2). Conclusions HGA patients undergoing early testosterone therapy show an earlier and persistent suppression of testicular secretory function. At this age, the testes are still responsive to stimulation with hCG. The selection of patients to be treated must be accompanied by a thorough clinical and hormonal evaluation.

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