Publications by authors named "Khakwani M"

Article Synopsis
  • * Only the right eye of the patient received treatment due to financial limitations, yet both eyes showed significant visual improvement within weeks, suggesting the potential benefits of this effect.
  • * The findings point to the need for further research on anti-VEGF therapies, personalized treatment plans, and highlight the urgency of accessible AMD treatments in developing countries, especially after recent treatment restrictions in Pakistan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are the architectures entrenched in nuclear envelop of a cell that regulate the nucleo-cytoplasmic transportation of materials, such as proteins and RNAs for proper functioning of a cell. The appropriate localization of proteins and RNAs within the cell is essential for its normal functionality. For such a complex transportation of materials across the NPC, around 60 proteins are involved comprising nucleoporins, karyopherins and RAN system proteins that play a vital role in NPC's structure formation, cargo translocation across NPC, and cargoes' rapid directed transportation respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Pakistan has experienced multiple HIV outbreaks over the past 20 years, with a surge in cases since 2018, particularly among high-risk groups like drug users, men who have sex with men, and sex workers.
  • Key factors contributing to the rise in HIV infections include poor infection control, unsafe blood transfusions, unethical healthcare practices, and a lack of public awareness, combined with insufficiently trained healthcare providers.
  • Sustainable solutions require comprehensive efforts from all stakeholders to improve testing, tracing, and treatment, while also addressing the root causes of these outbreaks that have been neglected so far.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Pakistan has experienced multiple HIV outbreaks over the last two decades, particularly centered in Larkana, which has seen alarming cases shift from high-risk groups to a low-risk pediatric population in 2019.
  • This shift raises concerns about the increasing spread of HIV into the general public and suggests that control strategies are not effectively managing the epidemic, leading to a rise in overall cases.
  • The review aims to summarize known risk factors from past outbreaks, investigate potential connections like child sexual abuse in recent cases, and propose strategies to combat future HIV outbreaks in Pakistan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Pakistan has a high burden of sepsis, but there's a lack of comprehensive data and understanding about it, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs) like Pakistan.
  • The main sources of sepsis in Pakistan are respiratory and urinary tract infections, mainly caused by gram-negative organisms, and the healthcare system struggles with delayed access and poor adherence to existing treatment guidelines.
  • Addressing sepsis requires focused efforts on implementing cost-effective guidelines and better data collection to improve diagnosis, management, and overall patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a rare life-threatening condition that is particularly seen in milder forms of sickle cell disease (SCD). Widespread systemic fat emboli are generated in the context of extensive bone marrow necrosis. Multi-organ failure with a high morbidity and mortality may quickly develop.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To compare conventional PAP smear (CPS) and liquid-based cytology (LBC) for cervical carcinoma screening at a tertiary care hospital of South Punjab, Pakistan.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Pakistan from January 2021 to June 2021. We included a total of 265 women aged between 20 to 65 years who, presented with complaints related to cervical lesion and unhealthy cervix.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Medical uninsurance (MU) is associated with cancer disparities, particularly among underprivileged and minority sections of the United States. In this cross-sectional study of National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2013 to 2018, we evaluated sociodemographic attributes of MU disparity in the US cancer population. Those aged ≥20 years with a history of cancer and disclosed MU status were included.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To compare the success rates and safety of two-doses of methotrexate versus single dose of methotrexate in ectopic tubal pregnancy.

Methods: This was an open-label, randomized controlled trial done at "The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Nishtar University Hospital, Multan" from January 2020 to July 2021. A total of 100 women (50 in each group), aged 20 to 35 years with a tubal ectopic pregnancy were enrolled.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the lack of direct evidence that hypertension increases the likelihood of new infections, hypertension is known to be the most common comorbid condition in COVID-19 patients and also a major risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection. The literature review suggests that data is heterogeneous in terms of the association of hypertension with mortality. Hence, it remains a topic of interest whether hypertension is associated with COVID-19 disease severity and mortality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of letrozole (LTZ) vs clomiphene citrate (CC) for ovulation induction in patients having polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Nishtar Medical University Hospital, Multan, Pakistan from January 2021 to June 2021. A total of 78 women aged 18 to 30 years, diagnosed having PCOS were enrolled.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To observe the role of Mentzer index for differentiating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and beta thalassemia trait (β TT) in pregnant women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Gynaecology & Obstetrics Department of Nishtar Medical University from October 2020 to March 2021. Non-consecutive sampling was applied.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can vary on a spectrum of asymptomatic disease to rarer manifestations like hypercoagulability especially among elderly patients admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) and those with preexisting comorbidities. The exact mechanism behind this phenomenon is still unclear, however studies have shown an association with elevated cytokines and severe inflammatory response which encompasses this disease. Hypercoagulability can be limited to the lungs, or present as systemic manifestations of arterial and venous thrombosis leading to mortal outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

According to one estimate, zinc supplementation is widely used in the USA by almost 37% of the elderly population above age 71. Zinc has perceived benefits of immune system enhancement without realizing the harmful effects when used in excess. One of its under-recognized side effects is hypocupremia or copper deficiency due to excessive gastrointestinal losses as excessive zinc in the gut competes with copper for absorption.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: This study was planned with an aim to find out the effectiveness of oral versus vaginal micronized progesterone for the treatment of threatened miscarriage.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nishtar Hospital Multan, from August 2019 to January 2020. A total of 136 pregnant women, aged 18 to 45 years having vaginal bleeding were included and divided into two groups (68 women in each group).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Belantamab mafodotin (belamaf), an antibody-drug conjugate approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), is an anti B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) agent. DREAMM-1, a first in-human trial of belamaf, reported several ocular toxicities requiring dose adjustments, dose delays and treatment discontinuations. In DREAMM-1, 53% of patients in part-1 and 63% of patients in part-2 had ocular toxicity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disease of the aging population characterized by the progressive and slow brain decay due to the formation of extracellular plaques in the hippocampus. AD cells encompass tangles of twisted strands of aggregated microtubule binding proteins surrounded by plaques. Delivering corresponding drugs in the brain to deal with these clinical pathologies, we face a naturally built strong, protective barrier between circulating blood and brain cells called the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To analyze trends of CSs and evaluating them according to Robson's Ten Groups Classification System (TGCS) at a leading government tertiary care hospital of South Punjab, Pakistan.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nishtar Medical University Hospital, Multan Pakistan, from October 2019 to March 2020.The study population included a total of 167 women who underwent CS in the hospital during the specified study period.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE) is an uncommon adverse event with paclitaxel. We report a case of PPE due to paclitaxel to create awareness and review management strategies. A 61-year-old female with locally advanced lobular breast cancer was started on neoadjuvant chemotherapy with four cycles of dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) lacks curative therapy. Therefore, researchers continue to conduct studies in an effort to improve progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Maintenance therapy (MT) after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) was extensively studied in the last decade and now considered a standard approach.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF