Depressive symptoms; association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Pakistani patients

Introduction: Depression is a leading source of disability world-wide with prevalence ranging from 8.8% to 18.3% in people aged 60 years or older. Depression is a not a simple term but has been used to describe a variety of infirmities, ranging from minor to debilitating. It is a multi-symptom disease and can even lead to suicidal attempt. Major depressive disorder [MDD], although one of the most common psychiatric illnesses, has an unknown etiology. Decreased serum levels of vitamin D have been implicated in the pathogenesis of MDD. Case control studies have supported a relationship between low vitamin D as possible predictors of depression. We designed a study to determine relationship, if any, between low vitamin D deficiency with depression and with severity of disease in our local population

Objective: The aim of this study to see any association of vitamin D deficiency in depressed Pakistani Patients

Study Design: Cross-sectional study

Setting: Fatima Memorial Hospital, Shadman, Lahore. Period: 2013-2015

Methods: Total of 150 diagnosed patients of 18-75 years of age was enrolled for this study, after a written consent. Depressed patients were further categorized into three groups depending on severity of disease i.e.; mild, moderate and severely depressed patients. Blood measures included serum vitamin D levels and data was recorded on structured data collection form

Results: In this study, we investigated the association between vitamin D status and depression in our local Pakistani population. Out of 150 depressed patients, 84.7% were vitamin D deficient. In our study, Out of 44 male depressed patients 9 [20.5%] had mild depression, 8 [18.2%] had moderate depression and 27 [61.4%] had severe depression. Out of 106 depressed female patients 42 [39.6%] had mild depression, 26 [24.5%] had moderate depression and 38 [35.8%] had severe depression symptoms. A negative correlation of vitamin D with severity of disease was also found in female depressed patients in our study. A significant negative correlation of vitamin D in all 44 male subjects with severity of disease was observed in our study. Higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was found in both males and females in our study

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of developing depression, but more prospective observational studies may be needed. Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation for preventing onset of depressive disorder is unknown. Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation for reducing depressive symptoms is largely unstudied. The study suggests dietary intervention with vitamin D would boost brain serotonin concentrations and help prevent and possibly relieve some of the symptoms associated with depression without side effects

Dynamics of Kirsten Ras and isoforms of protein kinasis in the progression of oral potentially malignant to malignant lesions

Oral premalignant lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma are significant health problems influenced by different predisposing factors and genetic alterations .The clinical and histological features alone cannot accurately predict whether potentially premalignant lesions of the oral mucosa will remain stable, regress or progress to malignancy. Methodology included extraction of RNA from paraffin embedded tissue samples, RT-PCR followed by PCR in 53 biopsy specimens of premalignant and malignant lesions. Results of this study indicate that Akt levels show a continuous rise from pre-malignant lesions to grade II. [Akt1: Premalignant lesions 0.06 + 0.01 and in moderately differentiated Grade II OSCC 0.12 + 0.03; Akt2: Premalignant lesions 0.03 +0.00 and moderately differentiated Grade II OSCC 0.13 + 0.03 and Akt3: Premalignant lesions 0.02 +0.00 and moderately differentiated Grade II OSCC 0.06 + 0.01. KRas expression also increases as the grade of the cancer increases [premalignant lesions 0.02 +0.02 and Grade II OSCC 0.17 +0.01]. Blocking these genes at the level of premalignant lesions may help to decrease the chances of progression into oral squamous cell carcinoma

Role of protein kinases and Kirsten Ras pathways in oral squamous cell carcinoma and poorly differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma in Punjab [Pakistan] population

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma [OSCC] develops by accumulation of multiple genetic alterations, influenced by the patient's genetic predisposition as well as by environmental influences, that includes pan, chaalyia, tobacco, alcohol, chronic inflammation, and viral infection. This study was carried out to understand the molecular alterations which contribute to the development of OSCC in Pakistani population. The study was conducted on a sample of 53 patients collected from different hospitals of Lahore. Results of this study indicate that Akt levels shows higher expression with increase in grades. The value of Akt1 in well differentiated grade 1 tissue is of the order of 0.09+0.00, Akt2 is 0.04+0.00 and Akt3 is 0.02+0.00 while in poorly differentiated tissues the values of Akt 1, Akt and Akt3 are 0.22+0.09, 0.13+0.03 and 0.06+0.01 respectively. kRas is an oncogene which is highly elevated in both grades [well differentiated: 0.09+0.02 and poorly differentiated: 0.13+0.02] in all samples of OSCC. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that Akt isoforms and kRas significantly control the cancer transition pathway. It is seen that Akt 1expression rises from 2.5- fold in well differentiated tissues to 3.5-fold in poorly differentiated tissues. The Akt-2 on the other hand shows only 0.5-fold increases from normal tissue in grade 1 tissues, but rises to 4-fold in grade-3 tissue. On the other hand there was no change in Akt-3 as compared to normal in grade I tissues yet, 3-fold increase has been recorded in grade III tissue. The oncogene K-RaS shows consistent increase of the order of 2.5-fold in grade I and 3-fold in grade III. This information combined with histopathological reports can further improve our understanding of the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Optical coherence tomography [OCT]; findings and visual acuity [V/A] in diabetic macular edema [DME] patients

To see the consequences of diabetic macular edema as assessed by optical coherence tomography [OCT] and visual acuity [V/A]. A prospective observational study. Patients were selected by simple random technique. Jan 2012 - Dec 2013. A total of one hundred patients [200 eyes] of ages forty two to sixty three years with an average age of 51.04 +/- 6.26 years of either sex were included. All these patients were examined in the outpatient department and were diagnosed as diabetic with macular edema and no opacity in refractive media. Their V/A was checked. OCT was performed in the Diagnostic and Research Centre, Department of Ophthalmology, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. Out of 200 eyes on OCT our findings were Diffuse Retinal Thickening in 199 eyes [99.5%], Cystoid Macular Edema in 119 eyes [59.5%], Subretinal Fluid in 48 eyes [24%], Epiretinal Membrane in 15 eyes[7.5%], Vitreomacular Traction in 11 eyes [5.5%] and Taut Posterior Hyaloid Membrane in 4 eyes[2%]. The visual acuity on the right side was 0.29+/-0.19 and on left side it was 0.38+/-0.11. The macular thickness was 437.10+/-82.57 microns on the right side and 414.01+/-69.35 microns on the left side. The best-corrected visual acuity was significantly correlated with central foveal thickness. Our results showed, on the right side, a significant negative correlation [correlation coefficient: -0.355, p<0.01] between them. On the left side, a significant negative correlation [correlation coefficient: -0.362, p<0.01] was recorded

Effect of Nicotinic Acid [Vitamin B[3] or Niacin] on the lipid profile of diabetic and non - diabetic rats

Objective: To determine the efficacy of nicotinic acid on the lipid profile of diabetic and non diabetic rats

Methods: This was an experimental study done at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan between May 2010 to July 2010. Nicotinic acid was administered to a hypercholesterolemic group and a hypercholesterolemic + diabetic Group of Albino rats for 42 days and response to therapy was recorded on day 21 and day 42 of the experiment. Comparison among these two groups as well as three control groups was determined by Analysis of Variance [ANOVA] and differences were considered significant at [P < 0.05]. A total of 50 rats were included in the study

Results: Lipid profile of the hypercholesterolemic group as well as hypercholesterolemic + diabetic group as compared with the control groups showed highly significant improvement on the day 21 and day 42 of the experiment. The values of serum total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], low density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol and total lipids [TL] showed highly significant decrease whereas serum high density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol showed highly significant increase

Conclusion: Nicotinic acid is the most effective agent available in increasing HDL cholesterol and lowering serum TC, triglycerides [TG], LDL cholesterol and TL in hypercholesterolemic Diabetic and hypercholesterolemic non-diabetic Albino rats

Effect of successive infestation of adult ticks of hyalomma annatolicum on chinchilla rabbits

The effect of successive infestation of Hyalomma annatolicum annatolicum adult ticks was studied on Chinchilla Rabbits. The difference in engorgement blood ingestion in the first application in the experimental animals was insignificant but on second application on the experimental animals it was significant as compared to the control animals. In the third and fourth applications the experimental animals the difference in the engorgement was more reduced as compared to the control animals [P <0.05]. Therefore it is concluded that engorgement was reduced due to the development of immunity of the skin by subsequent infestation of adult ticks on Chinchilla Rabbits

Density of Anopheles culicifacies and Anopheles fluviatilis in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and it's vicinities

Surveys were conducted during October 1986 to September 1987 for determining the prevalent anopheline densities in Islamabad Rawalpindi and the adjacent areas. It was observed that An. Culicifacies dominated from the third week of July onwards till beginning of December where as An. Fluviatilis dominated from March onwards till second week of July. Other species were found less in number

Application of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in the study of cattle bloodmeal of anopheline mosquitoes

2538 anophelines of different species were tested for their bloodmeal source and it appeared that 53.74 percent of all different anopheline species tested had bovine bloodmeal. The studies are important particularly in source reduction approaches in planning an integrated malaria control program

Anopheline species of Islamabad/Rawalpindi area

Surveys were conducted during June 1986 to May, 1987 to determine the prevalent species of anopheline vectors in Islamabad/Rawalpindi area and its vicinities. Anopheles culicifacies Giles, An. fluviatilis James, An. sergenti An Stephensi liston, An. subpictus Grassi, An. gigas, An. superpictus Grassi, An. annularis Van der Wulp,An. nigerrimus Giles, An. pulcherrimus Theobald, An. maculatus Theobald An. lindesayi giles, An. splendidas Koidzumi, An lumesi Theobald and An. barbirostris were recorded from the study area