Serum total homocysteine and lipoprotein [a] levels in acute myocardial infarction and their response to treatment with vitamins

To assess the relationship of serum total homocysteine [tHcy] and lipoprotein [a] [Lp[a]] levels with systemic hypertension, Diabetes mellitus and smoking as risk factors in patients with acute myocardial infarction [AMI] and changes in the former levels with vitamins supplementation. An interventional study. Medical College for Women and Hospital [MCW and H], Dhaka, Bangladesh, from July 2008 to December 2009. Consecutive AMI patients were recruited from the Coronary Care Unit [CCU] and MCW and H, Dhaka. Blood samples were collected at inclusion [Patient-I[0]]. They were given conventional treatments and prescribed vitamins [vitamins B[6]=25 mg, B[12]=2 mg and folic acid=2.5 mg] daily for 2 months. After follow-up, blood samples were taken again [Patient II[0]]. A group of 25 normal subjects were also included as controls. Serum tHcy and Lp[a] were measured by kinetic method and nephelometric method respectively. serum tHcy [micro mol/L] and Lp[a] [mg/dl] levels were elevated in Patient -I[0] that reduced in Patient-II[0] after vitamins supplementation, but not to the normal control level. tHcy of Patient-I[0] was 25.1 +/- 4.7 micro mol/L, of Patient-II[0] was 20.1 +/- 4.5 micro mol/L and of controls 12.1 +/- 3.3, p < 0.001. Lp[a] of Patient-I[0] was 43.1 +/- 15.2 mg/dL, of Patient-II[0] was 35.6 +/- 10.2 mg/dL, Control: 22.3 +/- 5.2 mg/dL, p<0.001. Elevated tHcy and Lp[a] levels were independent of the traditional risk factors [p> 0.1]. However, in a significant proportion of patients tHcy and Lp[a] levels were reduced to control levels [tHcy: p<0.001, Lp[a]: p<0.01]. These results indicated that tHcy and Lp[a] levels were possibly atherogenic risk factors independent of conventional risk factors. Since both tHcy and Lp[a] levels responded in a similar fashion, a common point of the metabolic and pathogenetic pathways of tHcy and Lp[a] may be influenced by the vitamins supplementation

prevalence of thyroid microsomal and thyroglobulin autoantibodies in Libyan patients with Graves' disease and idiopathic myxoedema

A national survey was carried out in 1987 to assess the prevalence of rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease among Schoolchildren aged between 6 and 1 5 years in Saudi Arabia. A sample size of 47810 [2% of the target population] was subjected to a clinical and laboratory evaluation. The study revealed the prevalence of rheumatic fever to be 0.3 per 1000 and the prevalence of chronic rheumatic heart disease 2.8 per 1000, giving an overall rate of 3.1 per 1000 Schoolchildren [6-15 years]. The prevalence was higher in rural areas and at low socioeconomic levels

iron status in Libyan patients with urinary tract infection

The serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferring saturation and serum ferritin levels were investigated in 24 Libyan patients with urinary tract infections [UTI] and in 24 age-sex matched controls. The mean serum iron and transferring saturation values were observed to be significantly lower in patients with UTI as compared to controls [P<0.01]. However, no significant differences were noted for the total iron binding capacity and serum ferritin levels between patients and controls. It is concluded that low serum iron levels in patients with UTI is a reflection of the sequestration into reticuloendotheliel system rather than an absolute iron deficiency. Therefore, it seems unlikely that iron deficiency is a contributory factor in the aetiopthogenesis of urinary tract infections