ABSTRACT
Introduction: Despite the use of growth hormone replacement therapy for decades, our ability to make a definitive diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency in children is limited. Growth hormone stimulation tests have been used to discriminate between Growth hormone deficiency and idiopathic short stature. However all these tests lack reproducibility, accuracy, cost affectivity and safety. Insulin like growth factor-1 is an effector hormone and its serum level may be used as simple, easy to perform diagnostic test for growth hormone deficiency
Objective: To determine the efficacy of IGF-1 as a diagnostic tool in children with growth hormone deficiency
Study Design: Prospective cross sectional survey
Place of Study: Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology, Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore
Duration of study: 1st July to 31st December, 2011
Material and Methods: We included 40 children of 3.5 - 17 year age and detailed clinical data was collected. All these children were subjected to stimulation by standardized exercise on treadmill, after taking basal blood samples for GH and IGF-1. Post stimulation growth hormone was recorded to identify growth hormone deficient children
Results: 17 [42.5%] children had post stimulation growth hormone level <10ng/ml while 23 [57.5%] had values >10ng/ml. Post exercise stimulation GH level showed weak correlation with IGF-1 in either of the two study groups. P value was found >0.05 in deficient as well as sufficient groups, depicting non significance of IGF-1 in relation to post stimulation GH level
Conclusions: IGF-1 is not a suitable surrogate diagnostic marker for growth hormone deficiency. Diagnosis should always be based on combination of auxological biochemical, radiological and genetic considerations
ABSTRACT
Background: The incidence of obesity is increasing worldwide. The neuropathy associated with obesity, that is evident from disturbed nerve conduction, is one of the complications for which a number of treatment options are being considered. In this study, Simvastatin, a hydroxyl methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor and alpha-tocopherol, a dietary antioxidant are compared for their effects on sciatic nerve conduction velocity. Objectives: To compare the effects of Simvastatin and alpha-tocopherol on sciatic nerve conduction velocity in obese rats. Methods: The study was a Randomised control trial conducted from December 2008 to November 2009. One hundred and twenty adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups with 30 rats in each group. One group of rats was taken as control with normal diet while other three groups were given high fat diet [HFD] for the whole study period. Along with the high fat diet, group III and group IV were given Simvastatin and alpha-tocopherol supplemented diet respectively. At the end of study, conduction velocity of sciatic nerve was determined with the help of PowerLab® data acquisition system. Results: The three groups with HFD showed more than 25% increase in weight at the end of study compared to control group. The control group with high fat diet [Group II] showed decreased sciatic nerve conduction velocity when compared with control [Group I]. Both the groups that were given Simvastatin and alpha-tocopherol each showed improvement in sciatic nerve conduction velocity [p<0.001] after four weeks when compared with the group that was given HFD without any supplementation. However with alphatocopherol, the nerve conduction velocity was improved more significantly. Conclusions: Simvastatin and alpha-tocopherol both are effective for improving sciatic nerve conduction velocity in HFD induced obesity. Keywords: Obesity, Simvastatin, nerve conduction velocity, alpha-tocopherol, High Fat Diet
ABSTRACT
A community-based seroepidemiological study was made of 4 common zoonotic infections [brucellosis, hydatidosis, toxoplasmosis and visceral leishmaniasis] in 3 areas [rural, urban and suburban semirural] in Basra governorate, southern Iraq. The prevalence of brucellosis was higher in the suburban semirural area [29.3%] than the rural and urban areas. The prevalence of hydatidosis [19.0%-35.5%] and toxoplasmosis [41.1%-52.1%] were relatively high in all 3 areas. With respect to visceral leishmaniasis, low rates of infection were reported [0.2%-1.9%]. The study shows in general that the suburban semirural area is at highest risk of zoonotic infections compared with other areas. The results could form a rational basis for the planning of an integrated comprehensive approach for control of zoonotic infections in the areas surveyed