Reference value for high-sensitivity c-reactive protein in the northern pakistani population

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hS-CRP] is an acute phase protein that is often used for the risk estimation of cardiovascular diseases. Objective was to find out the reference range of hS-CRP in the healthy adult northern Pakistani population and compare the distribution in relation with age, gender, body mass index [BMI], ethnicity and smoking. Cross-sectional study. Army Medical College Rawalpindi from Nov 2007 - Mar 2009 In this cross-sectional study a total of 297 healthy adults [>18 years] comprising 207 males, 90 females, Punjabis [n=178] and Pathans [n=119] were randomly included from Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Sawabi Districts. History and clinical examination were carried out. Serum hS-CRP was analysed in Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Army Medical College Rawalpindi by two site sequential chemiluminiscent immunometric assay kit on immulite 1000 [USA]. Data were analysed by SPSS-16. The reference values for hS-CRP are presented as median [2.5 th - 97.5 th percentile]. In the healthy adult population of Northern Pakistan it was 1.84 mg/L [0.37-4.81] mg/l; in Punjabis 1.75 [0.30-4.65] mg/l and in Pathans 1.93 [0.50-5.30] mg/l. Females had higher hS-CRP levels 2.05 [0.53-5.66] mg/l as compared to the males 1.76 [0.31-5.06] mg/l. Smokers had relatively higher hS-CRP 1.98 mg/l [0.47-5.56] mg/l than non-smokers 1.68 mg/l [0.30-4.60]. Our data also revealed that hS-CRP had significant positive correlation with advancing age [r=0.20;p<0.05] and increasing BMI [r=0.29;p<0.01]. The reference range for hS-CRP in the population of Northern Pakistan is 0.37-4.81 mg/l. Pathans have higher hS-CRP levels than Punjabis. Demographic factors including age and BMI were positively correlated to the distribution of hS-CRP

Serum uric acid levels in patients of ischemic heart disease

A comparative study of serum uric acid in 90 patients of lHD with 31 age and body mass index matched control subjects was carried out at Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi to find out the possible relationship between serum uric acid and incidence of ischemic heart disease. Serum uric acid was found to be significantly high [P < 0.001] in patients of ischemic heart disease as compared with control subjects