Alterations of biochemical liver function tests in obesity

To assess the effects of obesity on liver function tests, and assess its effects on the fasting lipid profile. This study included 110 [70 obese, 40 normal weight] apparently healthy subjects in Mosul City, Northern of Iraq, aged 20-50 years. The biochemical parameters measured were liver function tests that included measurement of liver enzymes activity aspartate aminotrasferase [AST], alanine aminotrasferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], gamma-glutamyl trasferase [GGT], measurement of serum total, direct and indirect bilirubin, measurement of serum total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio. In addition to measurement of fasting serum lipid profile that included total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], high density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-C], [Non-HDL-C], low density lipoprotein-cholesterol [LDL-C], atherogenic index. The comparison of obese subjects with normal weight subjects revealed a highly significant increase in serum liver enzymes activity [AST ALT ALP, GGT] among obese subjects with p<0.001, and significant decrease in albumin and A/G ratio among obese subjects with p<0.05, while no significant difference observed in total protein, globulin, bilirubin [total, direct and indirect] between cases and controls. Lipid parameters including [TC, TG, Non-HDL-C, LDL-C and atherogenic index] have also shown highly significant increase in obese subjects with p<0.001, while HDL-C was reduced. Obesity is a major factor that contributes to the raised serum liver enzymes activity and the presence of fatty liver. Obesity is a major cause of increasing lzpid profile levels represented by increasing total cholesterol, triglycerides, Non-HDL-C, LDL-C, and atherogenic index, and reducing HDL-C level. The significant relationship between [ASL ALL GGT with TC, TG, HDL-C] suggests the important relationship between hepatocellular damage and serum lipid profile levels. Periodic checking of liver function tests and fasting lipid profile is very important in the early diagnosis and the prevention of obesity associated-liver and cardiovascular complications

RB1 gene mutations in retinoblastoma and its clinical correlation

To find correlation between the type of mutations observed and the severity of the disease using multiple techniques like polymerase chain reactions [PCR], quantitative multiplex PCR, sequencing and RNA analysis. Prospective, observational study. Patients who had been screened for mutations in the RB1 gene were included in the study. Patient details including demographic data; age and sex, laterality, international classification of intraocular retinoblastoma [ICIOR] staging, modality of management, histopathology high risk factors if the eyes were enucleated and metastasis rate were assessed. Seventy four patients were studied. Fifty three patients had bilateral and 21 unilateral disease. Complete genetic data was analyzed for 74 patients and complete clinical correlation was established for all the 49 patients with mutations. Of the total mutations identified, 11/49 [22.4%] of patients had large deletions, 12/49 [24.5%] had small deletions or insertions, 14/49 [28.6%] had nonsense mutations, 7/49 [14.3%] had splice mutations and 5/49 [10.2%] of patients had missense mutations. Four cases were familial. Group E ICIOR stage at presentation was noted in 40% of patients with large deletions, 33% with small deletions whereas 38.5% with splice mutations and 44.4% of patients with missense mutations presented with Group B ICIOR. Twenty five percentages of eyes with large deletions had high risk features on histopathology and one patient among these developed metastasis. Current laboratory testing of RB1 mutations may be feasible in determining the severity of the disease and patient counseling. The study provides a starting point for looking at correlations

Evaluation of serum vitamin a levels in patients with Rhinitis

The aim of this study is to evaluate serum vitamin A levels in patients with rhinitis. A case control study concerned with 48 patients with rhinitis who underwent serum vitamin A evaluation and compared with the corresponding results of 100 apparently healthy persons as a control group. The study was carried out in Department of ENT in Al-Salam Teaching Hospital in Mosul, from April 2001 to June 2004. Vitamin A evaluation was performed in Department of Biochemistry in Mosul Medical College. The parameters analyzed included age, sex, clinical diagnosis and vitamin A measurement. The average age was 25 years with a range of 3-52 years. It was found that patients with rhinitis had significantly lower serum vitamin A levels than the control subjects. The levels were 0.292 +/- 0.099 [SD] micro mol/liter versus 0.886 +/- 0.199 [SD] micro mol/ liter, respectively. These findings prompted us to suggest a hypothesis that in rhinitis and possibly in other respiratory tract infections, a general derangement in vitamin A handling exists