Vitamin D binding protein gene polymorphisms and risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus among Egyptians

Type 1 diabetes [T1DM] is a multifactorial autoimmune disease in which both genetic predisposition and environmental factors participate in its development. Many cellular and epidemiological studies suggest a role for vitamin D in pathogenesis and prevention of T1DM. Polymorphisms of the genes involved in the metabolism of vitamin D may predispose to T1DM. Vitamin D-binding protein [DBP] is the main systemic transporter of vitamin D and is essential for its cellular endocytosis. There are two known polymorphisms in exon 11 of the DBP gene resulting in amino acid variants: GAT->GAG substitution replaces aspartic acid by glutamic acid in codon 416; and ACG->AAG substitution in codon 420 leads to an exchange of threonine for lysine. These DBP variants lead to differences in the affinity for vitamin D. Few published studies, about the correlation between these alleles and T1DM, yielded conflicting results. Therefore, we investigated the association of these polymorphisms with T1DM in Egyptian subjects. Unrelated 59 children with T1DM and 65 healthy controls were included in this study. The sequence of DBP exon 11, which contains both examined variants, was amplified by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. Alleles and genotypes were determined using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis [RFLP]. At codon 416 the frequency of Glu/Asp alleles was 64.4/35.6% in T1DM patients and 55.4/44.6% in controls [P >0.05]. At codon 420 the frequency of Thr/Lys alleles were 88.1/11.9% and 87.7/12.3% [P >0.05] respectively. Distributions of genotypes at both loci, and the common haplotypes constructed by them, were also very similar in both groups [P >0.05]. It could be concluded that the studied DNA polymorphisms in the DBP gene are not associated with T1DM in Egyptian patients

Subclinical atherosclerosis in obese adolescents with normal left ventricular function

To assess the impact of obesity on carotid intima media thickness and left ventricular [LV] mass in obese adolescents. The study included 52 obese adolescents [mean age 14.16 +/- 2.64 years] and 52 healthy adolescents who served as a control group [mean age 12 +/- 2.3 years], who were attended the outpatient clinic at Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt. The study population was submitted for medical history, clinical examination, laboratory investigations [fasting blood sugar and lipid profile], and echocardiographic examination of LV mass and dimensions. Assessment of carotid intima-media thickness was carried out by using carotid duplex. All children had normal LV function. Obese adolescents had a significant increase in total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, and low HDL-C compared to the control group. Also, there was a significant increase in blood pressure, carotid intima media thickness, LV mass, and LV mass index. There was a significant correlation between BMI and dyslipidemia, blood pressure, carotid intima/media thickness, LV mass, and posterior wall thickness. Carotid intima-media thickness had a significant correlation with increased LDL-C and low HDL-C, blood pressure, LV mass, and posterior wall thickness. Obesity in childhood and adolescents is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Although obese children had no LV dysfunction, yet there are LV structure changes

Ionized serum calcium not serum total magnesium predicts outcome in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy [HIE] is a significant cause of neonatal mortality and neurodevelopment impairments. Previous works have attempted to find a sensitive parameter that will accurately predict outcome in infants with perinatal asphyxia. The aim of this study was to whether or not the serum total magnesium [Mg],ionized Ca [iCa], and other electrolytes concentrations in neonate with[HIE] in umbilical cord blood and 48 hours serum samples could be used to predict their outcome. Hospital-based prospective study of admission to newborn intensive care unit between 2001-2004.A total of 60 term neonates fulfilling the criteria for HIE were included in the study. HIE was classified according to the criteria of Sarnat and Sarnat, mild moderate and sever. Twenty full term healthy newborns were chosen as control. Umbilical cord blood on delivery and after 48 hours was collected for the measurement of total Mg, iCa, and Na. Infants was followed by a pediatrician and neurological examination Was done at the age of 6 and 12 month. In the group of normal infants there was a significant increase in serum total Mg and Na concentrations and decrease in iCa concentration by the second day of life compared with umbilical cord blood values. Infant with mild HIE had significantly higher umbilical cord blood total Mg concentrations compared with moderate and severe HIE groups. Infant with severe HIE had significantly lower mean umbilical cord blood total Mg concentration compared with other groups. On the second day of life infants with severe HIE had significantly higher serum concentration of total Mg and lower concentrations of iCa and Na compared with other groups. The serum cord and 48 hour ionized calcium concentrations were significantly lower in HIE group who had a poor outcome. cord serum and 48 hours level of ionized calcium and 48hr Na were predicting variable for poor outcome in HIE group

Breast-feeding and complementary feeding practices in Egypt and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

An interview survey was conducted on 639 and 340 mother-child pairs from Ismailia, Egypt and Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA] respectively. The children were 12-36 months old. Mothers were selected randomly from primary health care centers. The study aimed at comparing breast-feeding practices in the study areas and to identify some determinants of exclusive breast-feeding and early complementary feeding. The study has shown that 39.7% of Egyptian mothers and 66.4% of Saudi mothers initiated exclusive breast-feeding at 4-6 months. Most of Egyptian mothers [60.3%] started complementary feeding early [before 4 months] as compared to [33.6%] of the Saudis. Egyptian mothers tended to terminate breast-feeding later than Saudi mothers. More than one-third of Saudi mothers did that during the first 6 months of child age, as compared to only 6.7% in Egypt. The majority of Egyptian mothers [77.2%] gave sugar water or infant formula soon after giving birth, the comparable figure in Saudi mothers was only [34.4%]. Women's primary sources of information and support for breast-feeding were: nobody [i.e personal decision], mother or close relatives, and medical personnel. In both study areas, early complementary feeding increased with higher levels of mothers' education, younger mother's age, mother's employment, shorter maternity leave, longer hospital stay after delivery, and narrower inter-pregnancy spacing. Early initiation of breast-feeding within the first hour of birth showed no association with early complementary feeding neither in Egypt nor in KSA. The study recommends that efforts to improve breast-feeding should include a variety of strategies and target groups, as well as modifying key behaviors found to be most detrimental to exclusive breast-feeding by trying innovative strategies in health education and mass media programs