ABSTRACT
There has been a substantial increase in medical knowledge in the last few decades. Not only doctors, but people not directly related to the medical profession, have also developed a profound interest in health related information and the latest advancements in medical field. Medical journalism plays a pivotal role in the dissemination of this information. In order to promote and enhance the skill of medical writing and editing a two day workshop on [Medical Journalism] was held at Army Medical College on 10 and 11 December 2018. The workshop was arranged by Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal. It was conducted by one of the most prominent members of the community of medical journalism, Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid, Chief Editor Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences and Secretary Eastern Mediterranean Association of Medical Editors. Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid has an experience of more than three decades in this field. He regularly conducts such workshops not only across the country but internationally as well
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To study expression of glyoxalase I in patients of diabetic retinopathy
Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at Centre for Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine [CREAM], Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology [AFIO] from January 2015 to November 2015. Sampling technique was non- probability purposive sampling. Total 60 subjects were enrolled in two groups. Group-I comprised 30 patients of diabetic retinopathy and Group-II of 30 normal healthy controls. Clinical and demographic data was collected and fasting venous blood samples [2 ml] were drawn. RNA was extracted and subjected to cDNA synthesis. Expression analysis for glyoxalase I was carried out and relative quantification done by double delta Ct method
Results: Mean age of the patients was 61.30 +/- 7.06 years and mean age of controls was 59.60 +/- 6.43 years. There were 17 [56.7%] males and 13 [43.3%] females in Group-I while Group-II comprised 14 [46.7%] males and 16 [53.3%] females. There was down regulation of glyoxalase I among patients of diabetic retinopathy in comparison with controls when relative gene expression was calculated
Conclusion: Down regulation of glyoxalase I in patients of diabetic retinopathy suggests it to be a contributory factor in the development of disease
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Diabetes Mellitus , Diabetes Complications , Lactoylglutathione Lyase/genetics , Pyruvaldehyde , Cross-Sectional StudiesABSTRACT
Objective: To study the association of inflammatory markers with physical activity, family history and other complications among patients of diabetic retinopathy
Study Design: Cross sectional comparative study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology [AFIO] and Military Hospital Laboratories, Rawalpindi from Jan 2016 to Jun 2016
Material and Methods: A total of 90 diagnosed patients of diabetic retinopathy of ages 40-70 years were enrolled from Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology, Rawalpindi. Their inflammatory markers [ESR and CRP] were assessed and their levels were compared with their physical activity, family history and other complications of diabetes already developed in them. These were then compared with those of 90 normal healthy controls enrolled from general population using independent student's t test and one way Anova test for scale variables and Chi square test for nominal variables
Results: Both patients and controls were age and gender matched with mean age of 60 +/- 8.9 years in patients and 59 +/- 13.02 years in controls. Among 90 patients enrolled 51[56.7%] were males and 39 [43.3] were females. And among 90 controls 49 [54.4%] were males and 41[45.6%] were females. An inverse association was observed between inflammatory markers and physical activity with ap-value of 0.001. On the contrary a strong positive association was observed between inflammatory markers and family history and complications of diabetes with a p-value 0.001
Conclusion: There is an inverse association of inflammatory markers with physical activity and a direct association of these with family history and complications of diabetes among patients of diabetic retinopathy
ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the association of diabetic retinopathy [DR] with dyslipidemia in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus and to evaluate other associated risk factors
Study Design: Cross sectional comparative study
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Centre for Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine-1 [CREAM-1], Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology [AFIO] from Apr 2016 to Jun 2016
Material and Method: Total 180 subjects were enrolled in two groups. Group I comprised of 90 patients of diabetic retinopathy and group II of 90 healthy normal controls. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Fasting venous blood samples [5 ml] were drawn and checked for blood glucose, HbA1c and lipid profile [total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins]. Data collected was analyzed by SPSS version 22
Results: Mean age of the patients was 56 +/- 6 years and that of controls was 53 +/- 7 years. Mean duration of DM was 14 +/- 5 years. Mean systolic blood pressure of group-I was 146 +/- 15 mm Hg compared to 127 +/- mm Hg of group-II. Mean diastolic BP of patients was 93 +/- 8 mm Hg while that of controls was 77 +/- 6 mm Hg. Mean body mass index [BMI] of subjects of group-I was 28.8 +/- 2.9 while for group-II, it was 25.1 +/- 1.4. Mean fasting plasma glucose was 10.2 +/- 3.4 mmol/l for group-I and 5.0 +/- 0.6 mmol/l for group-II. HbA1c was also considerably higher for group-I with a mean of 7.2 +/- 0.8% while for group-II, its mean was 5.2 +/- 0.5. Total cholesterol [group-I 5.7 +/- 0.9 mmol/l versus group-II 4.8 +/- 0.6 mmol/l], triglycerides [group-I 3.7 +/- 0.9 mmol/l and group-II 2.0 +/- 0.2 mmol/l], and low density lipoproteins [group-I 3.08 +/- 0.49 mmol/l and group-II 2.17 +/- 0.3 mmol/l] of both the groups were compared and found significantly higher among patients of diabetic retinopathy. DR was positively correlated with poor glycemic control, hypertension, increasing age and dyslipidemia at highly significant p-value. There was no statistically significant difference for high density lipoproteins between the two groups
Conclusion: Our study established statistically significant association of DR with increasing age, duration of DM, poor glycemic control, and BMI. Total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoproteins were associated with diabetic retinopathy at a highly significant p-value. No significant association between high density lipoproteins and diabetic retinopathy was found
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Objective: To study the relation of C-Reactive Protein [CRP], Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate [ESR] and Body Mass Index [BMI] with diabetic retinopathy in patients enrolled from a tertiary care hospital
Study Design: Cross sectional comparative study
Place and Duration of Study: Centre for Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine [CREAM-1] at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology [AFIO], Rawalpindi over a period of 6 months from Jan 2016 to Jun 2016
Material and Methods: There were 90 patients of diabetic retinopathy enrolled from AFIO. Their ages were in range 40-70 years. Their levels of ESR, CRP and BMI were assessed. These were then compared with 90 normal healthy controls from general population. Independent student's t-test was applied for scale variables and Chi square test was applied for nominal variables
Results: Patients and controls were age and gender matched. Their mean ages were 60 +/- 8.9 years in patients and 59 +/- 13.02 years in controls. In 90 patients enrolled 51 [56.7%] were males and 39 [43.3] were females. And in 90 controls considered 49 [54.4%] were males and 41 [45.6%] were females. Both scale variables gave following results ESR= 27.9 +/- 6.96 in patients and 16.02 +/- 7.6 in controls with a p-value of <0.001 and BMI = 28.9 +/- 2.94 in patients and 26.02 +/- 4.16 in controls with a p-value of <0.001. CRP being a nominal variable gave p-value <0.001. Diabetic retinopathy gave a significant positive association with all the three variables under study
Conclusion: There is a direct relationship of ESR and CRP with retinopathy signifying that inflammatory processes may be one of the underlying biochemical mechanisms in development of retinopathy. Moreover a direct relationship also exists between BMI and retinopathy indicating the contribution of weight gain in development of retinopathy
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To see the effects of plasma thiamine on the antioxidant status of the body by measuring plasma thiol levels in type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy. Cross sectional comparative study. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from January 2009 to December 2010. The study included 80 participants, 20 were control and 60 were known diabetics who were inducted from various diabetic clinics of urban areas of Rawalpindi. The participants were divided into three groups based on their albuminuria status. Group I [n=20] consisted of healthy volunteers having blood glucose level <6 mmol/L, group II [n=20] consisted of normoalbuminurics type 2 diabetics, groups III [n=20] consisted of microalbuminuric type 2 diabetics and group IV [n=20] consisted of macroalbuminuric type 2 diabetics. Fasting blood samples of diabetic and control groups were analyzed for glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] for the assessment of glycemic status, thiol for antioxidant status, thiamine chloride and thiamine monophosphate for assessment of thiamine status. Twenty four hour urine samples were analyzed for microalbuminuria, thiamine chloride and thiamine monophosphate. Plasma thiol levels were significantly reduced in diabetics as compared to normal controls. Moreover, the thiol levels decreased with increasing urinary albumin excretion, being lowest in the macroalbuminuric group. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between plasma thiamine and plasma thiol levels in all the groups. Thiamine levels are reduced in the diabetic population and this thiamine deficiency is positively correlated with plasma thiol levels in diabetics. Furthermore this progressive decline in the plasma thiol level corresponds to the increase in urinary albumin excretion
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To measure the levels of inflammatory markers [serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein] and dyslipidemia in diabetics and to find a correlation between these inflammatory markers and dyslipidemia. Comparative study. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from March 2007 to February 2008. The study included 30 known type-2 diabetic patients randomly inducted from diabetic clinics of Rawalpindi. Healthy volunteers [n=30] having blood glucose less than 6 mmol/L were inducted as the comparison group. Fasting blood samples of diabetics and controls were analyzed for glucose, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP] and serum ferritin. The diabetic subjects had significantly higher levels of glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, hs-CRP and ferritin as compared to normal subjects [p < 0.001], while the level of HDL cholesterol was significantly lower in diabetics [p < 0.001]. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between the inflammatory markers, hs-CRP and ferritin, and the parameters of dyslipidemia i.e. total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides [p<0.001 r=0.72] except for HDL cholesterol, which had an insignificant negative correlation with the inflammatory markers [p>0.05 r = -0.10]. Low-grade inflammation exists in Diabetes mellitus and it is positively related with dyslipidemia [except for HDL cholesterol] in diabetics