Relationship between thyroid stimulating hormone and various components of metabolic syndrome

To determine the relation between thyroid stimulating hormone and various components of metabolic syndrome. Descriptive cross-sectional study. Pathology department, Army Medical College of National University of Sciences and Technology [NUST] Islamabad and Military Hospital [MH], Rawalapindi, Pakistan; from January to March 2013. Handred adult inhabitants [30-60 years] of Rawalapindi participated in this study. Subjects who fulfilled the WHO criteria for metapolic cyndrome [MetS] were included and those who had any thyroid illness, or were using any thyroid medications were excluded from this study. For thyroid function tests [TFT's], serum thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], total tri/iodothyronine [T3], free throxine [FT4] were estimated. Insulin resistance [IR] was measured by Homeostasis Model Assessment for IR [HOMA-IR]. Data was analyzed by SPSS-18. Out of 50 subjects of control group, 26 [52%] were male and 24 [48%] were female. Basal metabolic rate [BMI], serum triglyceride [TG], HOMA-IR were higher and serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c] was lower in MetS patients. There was no significant difference in serum TT3 and FT4 between MetS patients and control group, however, mean serum TSH levels were higher in MetS [2.622 + 0.924 vs 5.002 + 1.074 mIU/1,p<0.001]. In correlation analysis, serum TSH was positively and significantly correlated with BMI [r=0.344, p=0.014] and HOMA-IR [r=0.419, p<0.002]. These results suggest that serum TSH correlates with various components of metabolic syndrome patients. Analysis of serum TSH levels in metabolic syndrome patients may prove beneficial in preventing the various cardiometabolications in such patients

Morphometric study of ketoconazole treated liver in albino rats

To study the effects of Ketoconazole induced liver damage, compare with control group and correlate with previous studies. Forty adult male albino rats were used for this study. Group-A served as control animals, received injection of normal saline in dose of 0.05 ml/100 gm of body weight intraperitoneally daily for 03, 07, 15 and 30 days. Group-B received injection of Ketoconazole 40 mg/kg of body weight intraperitoneally daily for 03, 07, 15 and 30 days of treatment. Animals were sacrificed after completion of treatment under ether anaesthesia. Liver were removed, fixed in 10% and alcoholic formalin for 24-48 hours. They were dehydrated in ascending strength of alcohol and paraffin tissue blocks were made 5 IJm thick section were stained with H and E for general morphology and micrometry and Gomori's reticulin stain for observing reticulin fibres. The results were compared with control. Analyzed statistically with student 't' test and correlate with previous studies. Ketoconazole treated animals showed distortion of hepatic architecture, increase size of hepatocytes, decrease nuclear diameter and necrosis of hepatocytes. Increased amount of reticulin fibres and area of focal fibrosis within hepatic lobule as compared to control group-A animals. It is concluded from this study that Ketoconazole induce injury is dose and duration of therapy dependent and due to its cost effective frequent use needs further research in humans

Determinants of incomplete and no immunization

Expanded program for immunization [EPI] is working in our country for many decades but despite of the widespread campaign in print and audio-visual media, active efforts by health care providers, EPI coverage is not very satisfactory. In this study we tried to find out the reasons, why the parents attending a tertiary care hospital for treatment of their sick children, were not utilizing free services of vaccination. It was a comparative cross sectional study, conducted in paediatric department of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. A questionnaire was designed and filled by the doctors and final year MBBS students. Informal consent was taken from parents of patients attending both the Pediatric OPD and Indoor department. The percentage of various vaccines received by those who were partially immunized were; BCG 42%, DPT 23.7%, Hepatitis B 6.2% and measles 1%. Hib vaccine was not included in national EPI schedule at the time of study. There was a marked difference in the causes of no immunization and partial immunization. The important cause in no immunization was lack of awareness in 46% of cases. In partially immunized group the important cause was adverse reaction to previous vaccination 7.2%, sickness of child in 18.5% and missing of vaccination card in 15% of cases while 66% have more than one cause. The poor compliance for EPI programme was mainly due to lack of awareness of the parents about importance of vaccination for their children