Evaluation of the cognitive, physiological, and biomarker effects of heavy metal exposure in Wistar rats.

Background And Aim: Individuals exposed to heavy metals are known to experience physiological and biochemical changes, which raise questions regarding possible health effects. In our earlier research, significant concentrations of vanadium (V), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) were found in food and medical packaging materials. This study aimed to evaluate the cognitive, physiological, and biomarker effects of select heavy metal exposure in Wistar rats.

Association of maternal and cord vitamin B12 levels with anthropometry in term neonates born to malnourished mothers in coastal South India.

Background: Malnourished pregnant women are at increased risk of micronutrient deficiency. We assessed the vitamin B12 status in both malnourished and normally nourished pregnant women and their neonates. Additionally, we studied the association between maternal B12 levels, cord B12 levels and neonatal anthropometry.

Outcome of resveratrol and resveratrol with donepezil combination on the β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease.

The goal of this research was to study the effect of different doses of resveratrol (RS) and RS with donepezil (DPZ) on the deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in colchicine-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. The study included three months old male Albino  rats and consisted of six animal groups: AD model (group 1), treatment groups, RS 10 mg/kg body weight (group 2), RS 20 mg/kg body weight (group 3), RS 10 mg/kg body weight along with DPZ 1 mg/kg body weight (group 6), prophylaxis groups, RS 10 mg/kg body weight (group 4) and RS 20 mg/kg body weight (group 5). In the treatment groups, RS was given for 7 consecutive days from the day of induction of AD, and in the prophylaxis groups, we started RS 7 days even before the induction of AD and continued for seven days after the induction.

Evaluation of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Heavy Metals Contained in Packaging Material Digest on Prominent Gut Microbiota.

Several scientific investigations have revealed that the leaching of metals from packaging material into the packed food is an unavoidable process. Hence, this study is aimed at investigating the effect of leached heavy metals from food packing materials on normal human gut flora. We analysed the effect of vanadium, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury present in digested packaging materials (DPM) on standard strains of ATCC 25923, ATCC 27853, ATCC 70063, and ATCC 29212.

Effect of resveratrol and combination of resveratrol and donepezil on the expression of microglial cells and astrocytes in albino rats of colchicine-induced Alzheimer's disease.

Aim: The goal was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol (RS) and combination therapy of RS and donepezil (DPZ), on the numerical expression of microglial cells and astrocytes, in the frontal cortex, regions of the hippocampus in colchicine-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) model.

Methods: The study involved male albino rats of three months, age and consisted of 6 groups, with six animals each. The immunohistochemical staining with mouse monoclonal anti-human CD 68 and mouse monoclonal anti-GFAP was performed to assess the number of microglial cells and astrocytes, respectively.

Serum calprotectin as a marker of neonatal sepsis: a hospital-based cross-sectional diagnostic study.

Background: Despite significant advances in neonatal care, neonatal sepsis remains a major contributor to mortality, morbidity, and protracted hospitalization. The development of early possible diagnostic indicators for newborn sepsis is critical. Since calprotectin participates in major biological processes, it could be a diagnostic marker for infection/inflammation.

Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is an accurate biomarker for dengue-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis syndrome diagnosed by Hscore.

Objective: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a potentially fatal complication of severe dengue fever. Here we evaluated the serum soluble IL-2R levels as potential biomarker for identifying HLH in patients with dengue fever.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care center of a teaching hospital, subjects with dengue and fever of more than 5 days, leukopenia/thrombocytopenia and/or hepatosplenomegaly were studied.

Improving Underweight Mothers' Essential Newborn Care During Early Infancy: A Single-Blinded, Parallel-Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of using a standardized Essential Newborn Care (ENC) module taught by pediatric residents on ENC skills and growth of offspring born to underweight primigravida mothers.

Study Design: This facility-based, single-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial was conducted between May 2018 and March 2019. Eighty-eight underweight primigravida mothers and their vaginally delivered offspring were blindly allocated into the intervention group (IG) or control group (CG).

Hypovitaminosis D and Parathyroid Hormone Response in Critically Ill Children with Sepsis: A Case-control Study.

Critically ill Indian children have a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. However, there is not much data available on the subgroup with sepsis. It has been reported that there is an impaired response of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to vitamin D deficiency in critically ill children and adults.

Assessment of Mineral Pathophysiology in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer.

Chronic non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) with a recurrence rate of over 50% in 3 years account for more than 1,08000 non-traumatic lower extremity amputations. Reports of altered mineral status and their role in pathogenesis of diabetes are well documented. However, little is known regarding their status and impact on severity of complications like foot ulcer.

Comprehensive Review on Diabetes Associated Cardiovascular Complications - The Vitamin D Perspective.

Vitamin D, a steroid hormone is primarily known for its role in calcium and bone mineral homeostasis. Over the years, vitamin D has been implicated in various non-skeletal diseases. The extraskeletal phenomenon can be attributed to the presence of vitamin D receptors (VDRs) in almost all cells and identification of 1-α hydroxylase in extrarenal tissues.

Effect of DOTS Treatment on Vitamin D Levels in Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Introduction: Vitamin D (Vit D) modulates a variety of processes and regulatory systems including host defense, inflammation, immunity, and repair. Vit D Deficiency (VDD) is been implicated as a cause in diabetes, immune dysfunction and Tuberculosis (TB). Impaired metabolism of Vit D and an adverse outcome is associated with Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB).

Basal hyperinsulinemia beyond a threshold predicts major adverse cardiac events at 1 year after coronary angiogram in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: There is a substantial reduction in cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality in the general population attributed to improved treatment of cardiac risk factors and disease, the same magnitude of benefit has not been observed in those with diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to evaluate factors associated with the cardiac outcome at 1 year after coronary angiogram in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to compare the outcomes with nondiabetics.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out in subjects who underwent coronary angiogram for an evaluation of CAD, with follow-up data available for period of 12 months.

Serum Vitamin D Levels and Diffuse Hair Fall among the Student Population in South India: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction And Aims: Hair fall is a common problem faced by many younger people, which has variety of risk factors. Vitamin D has emerged as a molecule with key role to play in various disorders. This study was done to assess its role in diffuse hair fall among student population.

Association of Interleukin-6 and Myeloperoxidase with Insulin Resistance in Impaired Fasting Glucose Subjects.

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is a high risk subclinical condition for the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the hyperglycemia seen in this condition is because of the development of insulin resistance (IR). Obesity, inflammation, oxidative stress and many other factors have been implicated in development of IR in type 2 diabetes mellitus and its successive complications. Current study was aimed to ascertain the correlation of inflammation and oxidative stress markers [interleukin-6 (IL-6) and myeloperoxidase (MPO)] with IR in subjects with IFG.

Manipal diabetes coronary artery severity score.

Aims: To develop a risk score, for identifying severe and complex CAD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: In this cross sectional study, 179 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing coronary angiogram for the evaluation of suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) were recruited at a tertiary-care hospital. Patients were divided into developmental (n=124) and validation (n=55) cohorts.

Cord Blood Levels of Insulin, Cortisol and HOMA2-IR in Very Preterm, Late Preterm and Term Newborns.

Introduction: Alteration in the glucose homeostasis is still the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the newborns. Intrauterine undernutrition plays an important role in causing adult insulin resistance and diabetes but the exact cause is still unknown.

Aim: To estimate the plasma glucose, serum insulin and cortisol levels at birth in newborns at different gestational age.

Association of Serum Selenium, Zinc and Magnesium Levels with Glycaemic Indices and Insulin Resistance in Pre-diabetes: a Cross-Sectional Study from South India.

A growing understanding of antioxidant mechanisms and insulin-like actions of trace elements selenium and zinc has rekindled researchers' interest towards their role in diabetes mellitus, nutritional management of which concentrates predominantly on macronutrient intake. However, selenium studies limiting largely to diabetes have yielded inconsistent results with sparse knowledge in the pre-diabetes population. This hospital-based cross-sectional study screened 300 people who came to the institutional hospital laboratory with fasting plasma glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin requisition over a period of 6 months.

Evaluation of Ischemia-Modified Albumin, Malondialdehyde, and Advanced Oxidative Protein Products as Markers of Vascular Injury in Diabetic Nephropathy.

Aim: This study aimed at evaluation of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), malondialdehyde (MDA), and advanced oxidative protein products (AOPP) as markers of vascular injury in diabetic nephropathy (DN) with derivation of cutoff values for the same.

Materials And Methods: Study population comprised 60 diabetes patients and 30 controls, with diabetes patients further categorized into three groups based on urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) of <30 mg/g (diabetes without microalbuminuria), 30-300 mg/g (early DN), and >300 mg/g of creatinine (overt DN). Serum IMA, MDA, and AOPP were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; HbA1c, serum creatinine, urine albumin, and urine creatinine were estimated using automated analyzers.

Indices of Glucose Homeostasis in Cord Blood in Term and Preterm Newborns.

Objective: According to the thrifty phenotype hypothesis, intrauterine malnutrition has a role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes. This study was planned to determine the early alterations in indices of glucose homeostasis (glucose, insulin, and cortisol) in term and preterm newborns and the correlations of glucose, insulin, and cortisol levels with insulin resistance indices.

Methods: A descriptive study comprising 35 term and 35 preterm newborns was carried out from December 2013 to June 2015.

Assessment of oxidative stress and inflammation in prediabetes-A hospital based cross-sectional study.

Background And Aim: Prediabetes is associated with dysglycemia, obesity, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, contributing towards the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases rendering them vulnerable for the same. The current study intended to explore the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related with prediabetes by assessing oxidative stress and inflammation using serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and urine microalbumin (MA) and their correlation with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and physical measurements.

Materials And Methods: Based on FPG values, 80 subjects were grouped into prediabetes and healthy controls.

Factors associated with no apparent coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for more than 10 years of duration: a case control study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and is often associated with severe disease. However, this risk is not uniform, some patients remain free of CAD even after many years of treatment for diabetes. The present study was aimed to identify the factors that are associated with a favorable CAD profile.

Emerging Role of Myeloperoxidase in the Prognosis of Nephrotic Syndrome Patients Before and After Steroid Therapy.

Background: Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a myelocyte derived iron containing enzyme particularly involved in host defense by destroying foreign micro organisms invading the body. Numerous evidences suggest that MPO is involved in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, especially atherosclerosis.

Aim: Present study deals with the role of MPO in the renal function and progression of disease in Nephrotic syndrome patients.

Microalbuminuria - A better marker in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

To assess the role of microalbuminuria in pre-eclampsia (PE) as a diagnostic marker, we studied 40 PE cases and 40 normotensive controls at 24 ± 4 weeks of gestation in women 20-35 years of age. The patients with PE had significant microalbuminuria in comparison with the controls, in addition to deranged renal function tests. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that microalbuminuria had the highest sensitivity (100%) and good specificity (77.