[Correlation between insulin-like growth factor-I [Igf-1] levels and severity of liver involvement in patients afflicted with liver cirrhosis]

Insulin-like growth factor [IGF-1] is a polypeptide that 90% of it is secreted by liver. Cirrhosis of liver is a condition accompanied with decreased level of IGF-1, and with progression of the disease the level of IGF-1 may be further decreased. In this study the relation between the degree of IGF-1 and severity of liver disease on the basis of Child-Pugh and Model for end stage liver disease[MELD] score is investigated. In this cross sectional study, 100 cirrhotic patients who were diagnosed on the basis of liver biopsy or clinical criteria, referring to the gastroenterology clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran during the years 2007-2008 were recruited. Laboratory investigations including IGF-1, CBC, liver Enzymes, Alkaline phosphates, serum Albumin, Creatinine, direct and total Bilirubin were carried out for all the patients. Similarly ultrasound for evaluation of ascites and endoscopy for varices were performed. 100 cirrhotic patients with male to female ratio of 63 to 37 and median age of 44.4 +/- 15 years were enrolled in the study. This study showed a mean IGF-1 level [ +/- standard deviation] equal to 92.95 +/- 91.51 ng/dl. Fourteen patients [14%] had IGF-1 within normal limits while 86 patients [86%] had abnormal IGF-1 level. In all patients the correlation coefficient between IGF-1 and MELD was -0.317 [p=0.001] and correlation coefficient between IGF-1 and Child-Pugh was equal to -0.478 [p<0.001]. The findings of this study showed that IGF-1 could be an index of severity of cirrhosis and can be used to determine the severity of the disease in patients, in particular, when liver biopsy is not possible

[Evaluation of abdominal obesity prevalence in diabetic patients and relation with other factors of metabolic syndrome]

Obesity is one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Considering that appropriate treatment of the each of several metabolic disorders is the key to effectively reducing mortality, morbidity and disability and the growing prevalence of obesity in the last century, this study was conducted to in vestigate the prevalence of abdominal obesity and to detect its qualitative relation with other components of the metabolic syndrome. This cross-sectional descriptive study was done on 1392 diabetics' type 2 patients between the ages 30 to 83 years. Following laboratory and clinical evaluations, and completion of questionnaires, data was statistically analyzed using two statistical tests the Chi-square and Fisher for qualitative data and the T test for quantitative data. Of 1392 patients with type 2 diabetes, 810 patients [58.2%] had abdominal obesity, including 46 men [5.7%] and 764 [94.3%] women. According to NCEP ATPIII1, 768 patients [94.8%] had metabolic syndrome. A significant relation was observed between abdominal obesity and sex, hypertension, decreased HDL and metabolic syndrome. [P 0.01] However, there was no significant relationship between abdominal obesity, age and high TG [P0.01] The results of this study indicated that obesity had the strongest qualitative relation with metabolic syndrome, indicating the need to it control appropriately in diabetic patients