Artificial intelligence-based tissue segmentation and cell identification in multiplex-stained histological endometriosis sections.

Study Question: How can we best achieve tissue segmentation and cell counting of multichannel-stained endometriosis sections to understand tissue composition?

Summary Answer: A combination of a machine learning-based tissue analysis software for tissue segmentation and a deep learning-based algorithm for segmentation-independent cell identification shows strong performance on the automated histological analysis of endometriosis sections.

What Is Known Already: Endometriosis is characterized by the complex interplay of various cell types and exhibits great variation between patients and endometriosis subtypes.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Endometriosis tissue samples of eight patients of different subtypes were obtained during surgery.

Leptin and the rs2167270 Polymorphism Are Associated with Glycemic Control in Type Two Diabetes Mellitus Patients on Metformin Therapy.

: Type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease with debilitating complications and high mortality. Evidence indicates that good glycemic control delays disease progression and is hence a target of disease management protocols. Nonetheless, some patients cannot maintain glycemic control.

Plasma IL-6, TREM1, uPAR, and IL6/IL8 biomarkers increment further witnessing the chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is known to be associated with chronic inflammation, but the inflammatory regulators/markers are not exactly defined and the link between them remains undetermined. The objective of this study is to identify these markers by testing traditional (IL6 & IL8) and non-traditional (TREM1 & uPAR) inflammatory markers.

Methods: Data and blood samples were obtained from 114 T2D and 74 non-diabetic Kuwaiti subjects attending health facilities in Kuwait.

Diabetic sarcopenia: metabolic and molecular appraisal.

Myopathy is the missing slot from the routine clinical checkup for diabetic complications. Similarly, its pathophysiological, metabolic, and molecular bases are insufficiently explored. In this review, the above issues are highlighted with a focus on skeletal muscle atrophy (also described as diabetic sarcopenia), in contrast to the normal histological, physiological, and molecular features of the muscles.

Diabetes mellitus tendino-myopathy: epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and management of an overlooked diabetic complication.

Tendino-myopathy, an unexplored niche, is a non-vascular unstated T2DM complication, which is largely disregarded in clinical practice, thus, we aim to explore it in this review. Literature search using published data from different online resources. Epidemiologically, reported prevalence varies around 10-90%, which is marked variable and unreliable.

Does four-week consecutive, dawn-to-sunset intermittent fasting during Ramadan affect cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults? A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ramadan diurnal intermittent fasting (RDIF; 29-30 days) on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) in healthy adults, and examine the effect of various cofactors on the outcomes using sub-group meta-regression.

Data Synthesis: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to measure the effect sizes of changes in CMRF in healthy adult Muslims observing RDIF. Ten scientific databases (EBSCOhost, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest Medical, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science) were searched from the date of inception (1950) to the end of November 2020.

Analogous telomeres shortening and different metabolic profile: hypertension versus hypertension/type 2 diabetes mellitus comorbidity.

Background: Eukaryotes chromosomal ends are capped and protected by telomeres, which are noncoding DNA repeats synthesized by telomerase enzyme. The telomerase enzyme is a nucleoprotein encoded by and genes. Naturally, the length of the telomeres shortens with each cell cycle but the shortening is fastened in certain age-related diseases like hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Influence of CYP2C9, VKORC1, and CYP4F2 polymorphisms on the pharmacodynamic parameters of warfarin: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Warfarin is the most commonly evaluated drug in pharmacogenetic-guided dosing studies. However, gaps remain regarding the influence of the genetic polymorphisms of CYP2C9, VKORC1, and CYP4F2 on specific pharmacodynamic parameters like the warfarin sensitivity index (WSI), prothrombin time international normalized ratio (PT-INR), and log-INR variability.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in non-smoking adults receiving warfarin for at least 6 months.

The influence of TERC, TERT and ACYP2 genes polymorphisms on plasma telomerase concentration, telomeres length and T2DM.

Telomeres are duplex tandem repeats of DNA sequence 5'-TTAGGG-3' at chromosomal ends synthesized by telomerase enzyme (TE). Telomeres length (TL) shortening is associated with age and age-related disorders. Recently, we demonstrated marked leukocytes TL (LTL) shortening in T2DM.

Shortening of the leucocytes' telomeres length in T2DM independent of age and telomerase activity.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the role of plasma telomerase (TE), plasma insulin, patient's age and disease duration in determination of the leucocytes' telomeres length (LTL) in T2DM.

Methods: Blood samples from Kuwaiti patients with T2DM (110) and non-diabetic subjects (94) were analyzed by SYBR Green Quantitative PCR for estimation of the Absolute Human Telomere Length and by ELISA for estimation of the TE activity and insulin level. The body mass index (BMI) and HOMA-IR were calculated.

Eating disorders risk among medical students: a global systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Medical students appear to be a high-risk group to develop psychological problems including eating disorders (ED). The prevalence estimates of ED risk vary greatly between studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis was done to estimate the prevalence of ED risk among medical students.

Relationship between VEGFA polymorphisms and serum VEGF protein levels and recurrent spontaneous miscarriage.

Study Question: Is recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM) associated with changes in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) serum levels, and with polymorphisms in the VEGFA gene?

Summary Answer: Reduced serum VEGF levels, and VEGFA -460T/C (rs833061), 398G/A (rs833068), -583T/C (rs3025020) variants, were associated with RSM.

What Is Known Already: Reduced expression of VEGF has been linked with spontaneous miscarriage, likely due to defective fetal and placental angiogenesis. Since VEGF production is in part inherited, VEGFA polymorphisms associated with altered VEGF secretion have been investigated for their association with RSM, often with variable conclusions.

Protein Z variants associated with protein Z plasma levels and with risk of idiopathic recurrent miscarriage.

Protein Z (PZ) deficiency due to anti-PZ autoantibodies and/or mutations in PZgene was linked with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (IRM). We investigated the association of rs3024718, rs3024719, rs3024731, rs3024778, rs3024772, and rs3024735 (G79A) PZ variants and changes in PZ levels in 287 women with IRM, and 308 control women. Of the 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analyzed, higher minor allele frequency of rs3024735 (G79A) and rs3024731 were seen in IRM cases than in control women.

The relation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms on VEGF levels and the risk of vasoocclusive crisis in sickle cell disease.

Objective: The association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) variants and VEGF secretion with sickle cell disease (SCD) vasoocclusive crisis (VOC) was investigated in 210 VOC patients and 114 pain-free control patients.

Methods: VEGFA -2578C/A (rs699947), -460T/C (rs833061), -1154G/A (rs15703060), -634G/C (rs2010963), 398G/A (rs833068), 497G/A (rs833070), -583T/C (rs3025020), and 936C/T (rs3025039) were carried out by real-time PCR.

Results: Higher frequency of rs2010963 C-allele, rs833068 A-allele, and rs3025020 C-allele and significant differences in rs2010963, rs833068, and rs3025020 genotype distribution were seen in VOC than steady-state patients.

Protein Z polymorphisms associated with vaso-occlusive crisis in young sickle cell disease patients.

We investigated the association of protein Z (PZ) promoter (rs3024718, rs3024719, and rs3024731) and intron (rs3024735; G79A) SNPs with sickle cell disease (SCD) vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). Study subjects included 239 SCD patients with VOC and 138 pain-free SCD control patients. PZ genotyping was done by allelic discrimination (real-time PCR) assays.

Anti-phosphatidylserine, anti-cardiolipin, anti-β2 glycoprotein I and anti-prothrombin antibodies in recurrent miscarriage at 8-12 gestational weeks.

Objective: To investigate the association of antibodies to β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI), cardiolipin (ACA), phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) and prothrombin (anti-PT) with recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM).

Study Design: Case-control study involving 277 RSM cases and 288 controls: autoantibody levels were measured by ELISA. Differences between cases and controls were analyzed by nonparametric Mann-Whitney test, and logistic regression was used in analyzing the association of autoantibodies with RSM.

Replication study of common variants in CDKAL1 and CDKN2A/2B genes associated with type 2 diabetes in Lebanese Arab population.

We investigated the association of CDKAL1 (rs7754840 and rs7756992) and CDKN2A/2B (rs10811661) variants with T2DM. Higher MAF of rs7754840 and rs7756992 were seen in patients, and both were associated with T2DM under additive, dominant, and recessive models. CDKAL1 rs7754840 and rs7756992, but not CDKN2A/2B rs10811661, are associated with T2DM in Lebanese.

Contribution of VEGF polymorphisms to variation in VEGF serum levels in a healthy population.

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a pro-angiogenic factor. Variability in VEGF expression, induced by specific VEGFA variants, are involved in angiogenesis-related disorders. This study examined the genotype distribution and functional role (VEGF expression) of rs699947, rs833061, rs1570360, rs2010963, rs833068, rs833070, rs3025020, and rs3025039 VEGFA variants and their haplotypes in 519 healthy Bahraini individuals of both genders.

Analysis of interleukin-18 promoter polymorphisms and changes in interleukin-18 serum levels underscores the involvement of interleukin-18 in recurrent spontaneous miscarriage.

Objective: To evaluate the association of interleukin-18 (IL-18) promoter single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs1946519 (-656C/A), rs187238 (-137G/C), rs360718 (-119A/C), and rs360717 (-105G/A) and changes in IL-18 serum levels with recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM).

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Outpatient obstetrics and gynecology clinics.

Genetic variations in the interleukin-21 gene and the risk of recurrent idiopathic spontaneous miscarriage.

Objectives: Insofar as recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM) is linked with dysregulated immunity and inflammatory changes, and given the pro-inflammatory role of interleukin-21 (IL-21), we examined the association between IL-21 polymorphisms and RSM.

Methods And Results: IL-21 rs2055979, rs13143866, rs9992580, and rs4833837 were genotyped in 235 cases of RSM and 235 controls. Regression analysis was employed in assessing the contribution of IL-21 variants to the overall RSM risk.

Anti-annexin V IgM and IgG autoantibodies and the risk of idiopathic recurrent spontaneous miscarriage.

Anti-annexin V antibodies have been identified as risk factors for recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM) in some, but not all previous studies. We investigated the association between anti-annexin IgM and IgG in RSM cases and control women. Blood samples from 244 women with idiopathic RSM, and 283 multi-parous control women were tested for anti-annexin V antibodies by ELISA.

Effect of the functional VEGFA-583C/T variant on vascular endothelial growth factor levels and the risk of recurrent spontaneous miscarriage.

The association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -583C/T variant with recurrent miscarriage (RSM) was investigated in 173 RSM cases and 248 control women. Increased minor allele and genotype frequencies of -583C/T, and reduced serum VEGF concentrations were associated with increased risk of RSM.

Anti-annexin V IgG and IgM antibodies in sickle cell disease patients with vaso-occlusive crisis.

Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients; however, its mechanisms are poorly understood. In view of their prothrombotic nature, we hypothesized that SCA-associated VOC may be due to the presence of anti-annexin V antibodies. Anti-annexin V antibodies were measured with ELISA in 177 VOC and 81 steady-state SCA patients.

High Frequency of anti-protein Z IgM and IgG autoantibodies in women with idiopathic recurrent spontaneous miscarriage.

Problem:  Protein Z (PZ) system is an anticoagulant pathway involved in the physiologic regulation of coagulation, and PZ deficiency reportedly enhances prothrombophilic mechanisms, including those implicated with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (RSM). We investigate plasma anti-PZ IgM and IgG levels in RSM women and in multiparous control women.

Methods: Anti-PZ IgM and IgG levels were measured in 265 RSM women and 283 age-matched control women by ELISA.