Increased Expression of Circulating Stress Markers, Inflammatory Cytokines and Decreased Antioxidant Level in Diabetic Nephropathy.

The main objective of the present study was to determine the role of oxidative markers (glutathione (GSH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and malondialdehyde (MDA)) and inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6 IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), myeloperoxide (MPO)) in the development of diabetic nephropathy along with routinely used biochemical parameters. This was a case control study. All the selected patients were screened and enrolled by convenient non-probability sampling technique at the Jinnah hospital in Lahore.

COULD COVID-19 BE A HEMOGLOBINOPATHY?

The world is struggling to deal with the corona pandemic. Effective therapies are still awaited due to the lack of understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism of the disease. Bearing recent research and clinical observations in mind, the authors propose a novel physiological mechanism of COVID-19 and explain development of COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to COVID-19 related hemoglobinopathy.

Impact of a Social Media Group Page on Undergraduate Medical Physiology Learning.

Objective: To investigate the impact of associating classroom learning of medical physiology with a Facebook group page in an all-women medical college of a conservative small city in Pakistan.

Study Design: Qualitative interpretivist study using semi-structured interviews.

Place And Duration Of Study: Women Medical College Abbottabad, Pakistan, from March to December 2014.

TNF-alpha: a risk factor for ischemic stroke.

Background: Inflammatory markers are being explored to aid in stroke diagnosis especially, to differentiate between clinical varieties of stroke. This study aimed to compare plasma tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels between stroke patients and controls, as well as between hemorrhagic and ischemic varieties of stroke.

Methods: Stroke patients who were admitted to Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore and Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan within 24 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms were consecutively asked to participate in this study from June 2011 to December 2011.

SP-D polymorphisms and the risk of COPD.

Introduction: There are limited data linking serum levels of surfactant protein D, its genetic polymorphisms to the risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Objectives: We sought to investigate these relationships using a case control study design.

Methods: Post bronchodilator values of FEV1/FVC < 0.

Plasma homocysteine in patients of migraine without aura.

Background: Few studies have studied the role of homocysteine in migraineurs and have produced conflicting results. The MTHFR C677T genotype has been associated with increased risk of migraine in selected clinical samples. We assessed the association of the MTHFR C677T variant with migraine, the corresponding homocysteine levels and their correlation.

Serum surfactant protein D during acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: There is a paucity of lung specific biomarkers to diagnose exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to track their progression. Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a pulmonary collectin regulating the innate immunity of the lung and its serum expression is perturbed in COPD. However, it is not known whether serum levels change during exacerbations.

Clinical characteristics of 226 college-going female migraineurs in Lahore, Pakistan - putting ICHD-2 to the road test.

The International Headache Society (IHS) criteria-based questionnaires were given to 647 college-going females (faculty and students) of selected universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Forty five (7%) were diagnosed with Migraine with Aura (MWA), 181 (28%) with Migraine without Aura (MWOA) and 421 (65%) as NMH (non-migrainous headache). We found 'Photophobia and Phonophobia' as the most common headache-associated symptoms, and 'Stress' and lack of sleep' as the most commonly reported triggers of MWA (44%) and MWOA (38%).