Serum cystatin-C: a better predictor of decreased creatinine clearance than serum creatinine in cancer patients on cisplatin

To observe the effects of acute deterioration in GFR, induced by cisplatin, on the levels of serum creatinine and cystatin C and to correlate the level of serum creatinine and cystatin C among cancer patients and the controls. Design: It is a comparative study carried out in the Department of physiology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate medical Centre, Karachi. Subjects: Seventy subjects were included in the study. Group I comprising of cancer patients with GFR greater than 80 ml/min/1.73m2 and group II comprising of cancer patients with GFR less than 80 ml/min/1.73m2. Estimations of serum creatinine, urinary creatinine and cystatin C in all subjects were done twice, first before the start of chemotherapy with cisplatin and second before the start of second cycle. Result: A highly significant correlation was found between the reciprocals of the levels of cystatin C and creatinine clearance as compared to a less significant Pvalue, which was found between the reciprocals of the levels of creatinine and creatinine clearance. In conclusion, the results of this study emphasizes that serum cystatin C is a promising endogenous marker of GFR, and it might be of particular interest in patients with slightly decreased renal functions

Incidence of hirsutism in different grades of acne

Sixty women with acne vulgaris 30 of whom had moderate / severe acne and 30 had mild acne were studied. Grades of hirsutism if any were recorded. Serum testosterone levels were estimated by radioimmunoassay, eleven [37%] patients with moderate to severe acne and eight [26%] patients with mild acne had hirsute score of more than seven. 80% out of all acne patients with elevated testosterone levels had shown a hirsute score of more than seven irrespective of grade of acne

Association of polycystic ovaries with acne vulgaris

Thirty women with acne vulgaris, twenty of whom had moderate to severe acne and ten had mild acne and ten controls between the age 16-24 years were studied. Hormonal levels included serum LH, FSH and testosterone in the early follicular phase. Grades of hirsuitism and menstrual irregularities were recoded. Pelvic ultrasonography for polycystic ovaries [PCO] was done in all subjects. Fifteen patients with moderate to severe acne and two in mild acne had polycystic ovaries upon ultrasonography. Patients with polycystic ovaries were detected to have at least one hormonal abnormality

Changes in thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women residing in iodine defecient areas

Aim of the Study: The study was aimed at determining the association of normal pregnancies with prevalence of goiter and changes in thyroid hormone levels in women residing in iodine deficient areas of Pakistan. Material And Two hundred pregnant women were examined and their goiters were classified according WHO criteria. T3, T4, TSH and b hCG were measured during pregnancy and again after completion of pregnancy. Result: Eighty-six women returned after pregnancy for a second follow up visit and serum hormones were rechecked. Fifty% of our subjects had visible goiter. Mean and standard deviation of thyroid hormones during pregnancy were T3: 180.4 +/- 30.2ng/dl, T4: 14.2 +/- 2.71ug/dl and TSH: 1.39 +/- 0.79 uU /ml. Post delivery levels of T3, T4 and TSH were decreased. During pregnancy there is increased thyroid binding globulin and thyroid hormone concentrations, and increased metabolism and turnover of thyroxine, the deficiency can be prevented by iodine supplementation

Cystatin C as a new marker of decreased creatinine clearance: a review of the literature

Serum creatinine is ubiquitously used as an indicator for GFR despite the knowledge that the usefulness of serum creatinine as a marker for GFR is limited by, inter alia, the influence of an individual's muscle mass on the production rate of creatinine, by the tubular secretion and reabsorption of creatinine, by the dietary intake of creatine and creatinine, and by analytical difficulties. Several recent studies have compared the use of serum cystatin C and creatinine as markers for GFR as determined by 'golden standard' procedures. In patients with reduced renal function, the plasma level of cystatin C increases reciprocally with the reduction of GFR, suggesting that cystatin C is formed at a constant rate and removed largely by glomerular filtration. Several studies in patients with manifest or subclinical reductions in GFR due to type-2 diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension, non diabetic nephropathies, renal transplant patients and coronary artery disease patients have shown a better correlation of cystatin C and GFR than creatinine and GFR

Control of early morning sickness of pregnancy by acupressure technique

To evaluate the effect of acupressure wrist bands on nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy Methodology: Ninety pregnant women of gestational age between 7-12 weeks were randomly recruited for a double blind, cross over, placebo controlled trial. Women were randomly divided into two groups. Two types of bands were used i.e., pressure band and placebo band for a ten days long trial, organized in two steps of four days each and a two days wash out period in between the steps. Result: Acupressure at Neiguan point has an antiemetic effect and this effect is more than that achieved by placebo band. More than 60% positive effect was found with pressure band as compared to 30% with placebo band. Acupressure may be used to treat pregnant women suffering from early morning sickness with a success rate of more than 60% by applying pressure at P6 point