scholarly journals Evaluation of some trace elements in sera of asthma patients: a case control study.

Folia Medica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 797-804
Author(s):  
Falah S. Al-Fartusie ◽  
Manal J. Abood ◽  
Hassanain K. Al-Bairmani ◽  
Ahmed S. Mohammed

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic in&#64258;ammatory disease of the airways characterized by recurrent respiratory symptoms of dyspnea, wheezing, chest tightness, and cough. Aim: This study aims to investigate the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cr, Ni, and Al in the serum of asthmatic patients. Materials and methods: An atomic absorption technique was used to determine the levels of trace elements. The study included sixty asthmatic patients and ninety healthy individuals as control group their ages ranging from 20 to 45 years. Results: We found a significant increase of the levels of copper, iron, and aluminum by 20%, 54%, and 47% (p<0.01), respectively, in the asthmatic patients as compared with the controls. On the other hand, in comparison with the controls, the levels of zinc, magnesium, manganese, and nickel were found to be significantly decreased (p<0.01) by 24%, 16%, 53%, and 81%, respectively, in the asthmatic patient group. Moreover, chromium level showed non-significant differences (p>0.05) between patients and control group. Conclusions: The increased level of Cu and Fe may reflect their potential role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Furthermore, the serum iron levels tend to be increased as a result of the inflammatory process that occurs in asthma. Low levels of Zn, Mg, and Mn may contribute to allergic diseases due to their role in the synthesis of certain antioxidants or to their effect on the immune system.

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-69
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rasoul Sharanjani ◽  
Ebrahim Nadi ◽  
Maryam Vasheghani ◽  
Mohammad Jafari ◽  
Jalal Poorolajal

Background: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is increasing due to changes in lifestyle and dietary habits. The aim of this study was to compare the serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D between patients with bronchial asthma and the healthy control group. Patients and Methods: In this case-control study, 45 patients with asthma and 45 healthy subjects were enrolled and the level of serum 25 (OH) vitamin D was measured in both groups. In addition, a welltrained observer assessed airway reversibility, peak flowmetry and spirometry in the participants. The data were statistically analyzed using t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square test with Stata software (version 11). Results: The mean age (±SD) of participants were 49.06 ±16.43 and 46.13 ±16.10 years in case and control groups, respectively (P=.394). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was high in both groups (69% in case and 65.5% in control groups). The mean (±SD) serum 25 (OH) vitamin D was 16.24 (±14.98) ng/ml in case group and 17.70 (±16.07) ng/mL in control group (P=.657). We found a positive correlation between the levels of vitamin D and the amount of FEV1 (r=0.2). Conclusions: According to the present study, the mean serum levels of vitamin D differences were not statistically significant between asthmatic patients and control group. However, the results of this study showed a positive relationship between forced expiratory volumes in first second (FEV1) and vitamin D levels


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-26
Author(s):  
Olga V. Lavrova ◽  
Elena A. Shapovalova ◽  
Yulia R. Dymarskaya ◽  
Dmitry S. Sudakov ◽  
Anna V. Paliychuk

Hypothesis/aims of study. Asthma is the most common chronic disease of the respiratory system in women during pregnancy. Numerous studies show an increased frequency of all complications of pregnancy and delivery by cesarean section in women with asthma. Such delivery is reported to be observed more often in patients with severe asthma and asthma exacerbations during gestation. There are conflicting data showing that the use of asthma medication increases the risk of complications of pregnancy and childbirth. This study aimed at analyzing the frequency of cesarean section in patients with asthma, depending on the severity, course, and control of the disease. Study design, materials and methods. This retrospective study involved data of 170 patients with varying severity and control of asthma, who were under the supervision of a pulmonologist from the first trimester of pregnancy. According to the severity of asthma, patients were divided into subgroups with mild intermittent, mild persistent, and moderate and severe course of the disease. The control group was represented by 30 patients who did not suffer from any pulmonary and allergic diseases. Results. The cesarean delivery rate in patients with asthma in the whole group was significantly higher than in patients of the control group. Exacerbation of asthma during pregnancy significantly increases the frequency of abdominal operative delivery, and the use of modern drugs to achieve control of asthma during pregnancy has a positive effect and is associated with a lower birth rate by cesarean section. Conclusion. The active simultaneous management of pulmonary problems in pregnant women allows timely and adequate therapeutic measures aimed to achieve control of asthma during pregnancy, thereby reducing obstetric and perinatal risks, including those associated with the method of delivery.


Author(s):  
Hamdy N. El-Tallawy ◽  
Tahia H. Saleem ◽  
Wafaa M. Farghaly ◽  
Heba Mohamed Saad Eldien ◽  
Ashraf Khodaery ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease is one of the neurodegenerative disorders that is caused by genetic and environmental factors or interaction between them. Solute carrier family 41 member 1 within the PARK16 locus has been reported to be associated with Parkinson’s disease. Cognitive impairment is one of the non-motor symptoms that is considered a challenge in Parkinson’s disease patients. This study aimed to investigate the association of rs11240569 polymorphism; a synonymous coding variant in SLC41A1 in Parkinson’s disease patients in addition to the assessment of cognitive impairment in those patients. Results In a case -control study, rs11240569 single nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC41A1, genes were genotyped in 48 Parkinson’s disease patients and 48 controls. Motor and non-motor performance in Parkinson's disease patients were assessed by using the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). The genotype and allele frequencies were compared between the two groups and revealed no significant differences between case and control groups for rs11240569 in SLC41A1 gene with P value .523 and .54, respectively. Cognition was evaluated and showed the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of WAIS score of PD patients 80.4 ± 9.13 and the range was from 61 to 105, in addition to MMSE that showed mean ± SD 21.96 ± 3.8. Conclusion Genetic testing of the present study showed that rs11240569 polymorphism of SLC41A1 gene has no significant differences in distributions of alleles and genotypes between cases and control group, in addition to cognitive impairment that is present in a large proportion of PD patients and in addition to the strong correlation between cognitive impairment and motor and non-motor symptoms progression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Oh Kang ◽  
Kyung Hyun Min ◽  
Hyun Jeong Kim ◽  
Tae Hyeok Kim ◽  
Woorim Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In March 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration decided that the dangers related to neuropsychiatric events (NPEs) of montelukast, one of the leukotriene modifying agents (LTMAs), should be communicated through ‘boxed warning’. In case of NPEs, the prevalence has been the highest in elderly people. Because the characteristics of the elderly such as old age itself can act as risk factors. Therefore, an investigation on safety of LTMAs related to NPEs in elderly using LTMAs is needed. Method A nested case-control study using an elderly sample cohort from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database was used. The asthma cohort included asthma patients newly diagnosed between 2003 and 2013. Within the asthma cohort, the case group was defined as patients who were diagnosed with NPEs. Among patients who had never been diagnosed with NPEs, the control group was selected by matching 1:1 by propensity score. Patients who were prescribed LTMAs for 1 year prior to index date were defined as the exposure group. The logistic regression model was used to measure the effect of LTMAs on NPEs. Results We identified 141,165 patients with newly diagnosed asthma, and selected 31,992 patients per each case and control group. Exposure to LTMAs significantly increased the risk of overall NPEs about in comparison with the absence of exposure (crude odds ratio [OR] 1.58, 95% CI 1.50–1.68). After adjusting for confounding factors, the overall NPEs risk increased (adjusted OR, 1.67, 95% CI 1.58–1.78). Conclusion This study suggests that elderly asthma patients prescribed LTMAs had a higher risk of NPEs than patients who were not treated with LTMAs. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the potential risks of LTMAs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martín Bedolla-Barajas ◽  
Norma Angélica Pulido-Guillén ◽  
Bolívar Vivar-Aburto ◽  
Jaime Morales-Romero ◽  
José Raúl Ortiz-Peregrina ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate whether there is an association between suicidal ideation (SI) and allergic diseases in adults. Methods: This was a comparative cross-sectional study involving individuals ranging from 20 to 50 years of age recruited from a university hospital in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. We included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of allergic asthma, those with a confirmed diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, and healthy controls. All subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), which includes an item that evaluates the presence of suicidal thoughts or desires within the last two weeks, in order to identify SI. Results: The sample comprised 115 patients with allergic asthma, 111 patients with allergic rhinitis, and 96 healthy controls. The number of individuals identified with SI in the three groups were, respectively, 17 (14.8%), 13 (11.7%), and 8 (8.3%). Regarding the presence of SI, no statistically significant association was found in the allergic asthma group (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 0.78-4.64; p = 0.154) or in the allergic rhinitis group (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 0.58-3.68; p = 0.424) when they were compared with the control group. However, the presence of depression was associated with SI in the three groups: allergic asthma (OR = 12.36; 95% CI: 2.67-57.15; p = 0.001); allergic rhinitis (OR = 6.20; 95% CI: 1.66-23.14; p = 0.006); and control (OR = 21.0; 95% CI: 3.75-117.36; p < 0,001). Conclusions: In comparison with the control group, no association was found between SI and the groups with allergic diseases. In contrast, there was association between SI and depression in the three groups.


2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 463-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
James McDaid ◽  
Claire Reichl ◽  
Ihsan Hamzah ◽  
Samantha Fitter ◽  
Laura Harbach ◽  
...  

INTRODUCTION We observed that a number of patients presenting to our clinic with diverticular fistulation were taking nicorandil for angna. Recognised side effects of nicorandil include gastrointestinal and genital ulceration. The aim of our study was to determine whether nicorandil is an aetiological agent in diverticular fistulation. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a case-control study of patients with diverticular disease related enteric fistulae. Two patient groups were identified: a study group of patients with diverticular fistulae, and a control group with uncomplicated diverticular disease. The proportion of patients who had ever used nicorandil was compared between the two groups. RESULTS A total of 153 case notes were analysed, 69 patients with fistulae and 84 control patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease. Female to male ratio in both groups was 2:1. The mean age was 71 years in the fistula group and 69 years in the control diverticular disease group (P = ns). Of those with colonic fistulae, 16% were taking nicorandil compared with 2% of the control group (odds ratio 7.8; 95% confidence interval 1.5–39.1; P = 0.008). There was no significant difference in rates of ischaemic heart disease between fistula and control groups. CONCLUSIONS Nicorandil is associated with fistula formation in diverticular disease.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyun Liu ◽  
Qun Zuo

Objective This study is to investigate the changes of trace elements (Cu, Fe, Zn, Se, Mg) in serum and skeletal muscle of rats after skeletal muscle injury induced by downhill running, and to find out the change regularity of trace elements in the body after exercise injury. To provide experimental basis for how to use trace elements supplements reasonably. Methods Fifty-four healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into two groups: control group (C, N=6) and exercise group (E, N=48, include: 0 h group, 6 h group, 12 h group, 24 h group, 48 h group, 72 h group, 1- week group and 2- week group). The rats in exercise groups run down a 16°incline at 16m/min for 90 minutes. At the end of the exercise, the rats were killed at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 1 week and 2 weeks, respectively. The serum was got from the inferior vena cava blood and diluted by 1% nitric acid. The muscle was got from the right side of the rat's sural which were digested by concentrated nitric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide in 75℃water bath for 20mins. The content of trace elements in muscle and serum were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-MS). All the data are analyzed and processed by SPSS22.0 statistical software. Results (1) The contents of trace elements in serum showed: Cu, Zn, Mg, Se decreased immediately after exercise, but the Cu still increased to reach a peak at 24h after decreasing, and after 2 weeks the content of Cu was slightly lower than pre-exercise level. However, the content of Zn did not elevate again, it continued declined to the lowest at 24h which was significantly lower than control group (P < 0.05). And after 2 weeks, Zn did not return to the pre-exercise level. The changes of Mg, Se in serum was not statistically significant. There is no difference between 0h and control groups in content of Fe, after that Fe decreased continually and appeared the least value at 24h, the differences between immediate group and control group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Fe returned to the pre-exercise level after 2 weeks. (2) The contents of trace elements in muscle showed: Most of trace elements increased to the maximum level at 6 h, after that Mg, Fe, Cu decreased to the lowest value at 72 h which were significant lower than 0h group or 6h group (P < 0. 05). ALL the trace elements were lower than pre-exercise level. There was no statistical difference in the content of Se in muscle. Conclusions (1) The different changes of trace elements in skeletal muscle and serum after exercise injury may be due to the redistribution of trace elements caused by the body adaptability. (2) The most obviously changes of trace element in serum and muscle are Cu and Zn. Both of them did not return to the pre-exercise level after 2 weeks, it suggests that the supplement include Cu and Zn may play an important role in recovering after exercise-induced injury.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Gholam-Abbas Shirali ◽  
Arman Amiri ◽  
Khalil Taherzadeh Chanani ◽  
Maryam Silavi ◽  
Sanaz Mohipoor ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a wide range of sociocultural pressures on nurses. Resilience is defined as one’s ability to adapt to an unpredictable situation and it can be a factor in accepting an undesirable psychosocial situation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine resilience in nurses in the face of job stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The study was carried out as a case-control study with participation of 400 nurses as the target group (nurses exposed to COVID-19 patients) and the control group (nurses not exposed to COVID-19 patients). To examine resilience and job stress, Conor and Davidson’s questionnaire and OSIPOW questionnaire were used respectively. RESULTS: The mean scores of job stress and resilience were significantly different between the target and control groups (p <  0.05). So that resilience in the target group was less than that in the control group. In addition, job stress in the target group was higher than that of the control group (p <  0.05). There was a significant and negative correlation between resilience and job stress and the correlation was stronger in the target group (p <  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Given the high job stress score in the participants and its negative correlation with resilience, there is need to provide the health personnel with efficient preventive and treatment approaches, improve and educate the principles of resilience, improve mental health services system, and introduce programs to control some of demographical factors in job stress such as physical activity, and employment status of nurses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-93
Author(s):  
Arshiya Zeba ◽  
Mohd Ibrahim Pasha ◽  
Khwaja Nawazuddin Sarwari ◽  
Mohammed Mateen Ahmed

Dermatoglyphics is the scientific study of epidermal ridges and their configurations on the palmar region of hand and fingers and plantar region of foot and toes. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defect in insulin secretion, action or both. Dermatoglyphic patterns are genetically determined and can be used as supportive for diagnosis of various hereditary disorders including T2DM. This study was carried out to compare palmar dermatoglyphic pattern in T2DM and control group and compare with previous studies. A hospital based case control study was conducted 100 cases of T2DM are taken from Basaweshwar hospital Gulbarga, and another 100 persons are included as control group. The palms and fingers are smeared with ink to bring out the dermatoglyphiic patterns which were subsequently studied.There was increased number of whorls and decreased number of ulnar loops in both T2DM patients compared with normal individuals. Total finger ridge count and Absolute finger ridge count is increased in both T2DM patients and there is also increased atd angle. The knowledge of dermatoglyphics in patients with T2DM and essential hypertension can be utilized to find out genetic correlation. The existence of such relation might be important for the screening programme for prevention of T2DM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S232-S232
Author(s):  
H Korkmaz ◽  
K Fidan

Abstract Background In this study, we investigated the importance of netrin-1 levels in ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical activity of the disease, and its association with other proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. Methods This study is a type of case–control study. Sixty-seven patients with UC (36 of them activation, 31 of remission) and 50 healthy controls were included in the study. UC patients; ‘Truelove Witts clinical activity index by remission (n = 31), mild activation (n = 21), moderate activation (n = 6) and severe activation (n = 9) were divided into groups. Netrin, IL-6 and TNF-α measurements in plasma samples were performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results Between the patient group and the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between netrin-1, IL-6, TNF-α, neutrophil, platelet (p &lt; 0.05 for all). The plasma netrin-1 mean of UC with severe activation group (139.21 ± 48.09 pg/ml) was statistically significantly higher than that of the mild activation (p = 0,037), remission group (p = 0,001) and control group(p = 0,011). The plasma netrin-1 mean of UC with moderate activation group was statistically significantly higher than that of the mild activation(p = 0,045) and remission group(p = 0,004). Conclusion Our results reveal that plasma netrin-1 levels have been shown to be associated with UC activation, similar to proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, in UC.


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