Vitamin D status among vegetarians and nonvegetarians

Vitamin D helps in maintaining bone and muscle health. Vitamin D deficiency is a global problem, with the prevalence of deficiency being widespread in Pakistan. The present study was planned to associate serum vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone [PTH], calcium and phosphate concentrations with dietary habits of individuals living in urban/rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan. This was a crosssectional study at two locations, urban [Karachi] and rural [Haji Goth of Shadadpur city]. The study period was May-October 2012 on 176 healthy subjects, aged 20-80 years. Venous blood was collected for analysis of vitamin D, PTH, calcium and phosphorus. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS-18. Statistical differences between variables were determined by student's t-test and p<0.05 was considered significant. The 176 subjects were divided into non-vegetarians [93, 52.84%] and vegetarians [83, 47.16%] with each group subdivided into urban and rural. The BMI of non-vegetarians vs vegetarians was high [p<0.001]. Vitamin D in non-vegetarians vs vegetarians was low [p<0.001]. The vegetarians of urban compared to rural had low vitamin D [p<0.05]. The PTH of non-vegetarians vs vegetarians was significantly high [p<0.001]. Serum calcium was significantly low [p<0.05] in urban and rural subjects on either diet. Non-vegetarians had severe vitamin D deficiency, while vegetarians had vitamin D insufficiency irrespective of belonging to urban or rural area

Systemic lupus erythematosus, female of fertile age changes in reproductive hormones estrogen and prolactin levels

Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] is an important autoimmune disease and occurs when the body is mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. Prolactin acts as a cytokine and plays an important role in human immune response including autoimmune diseases. SLE is an immune complex mediated disease and is more common during pregnancy. Research is designed to analyze the level of serum prolactin in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and compared with estrogen in female of fertile age. Observational Study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, BMSI, in collaboration of ward-6 JPMC Karachi. Thirty five diagnosed cases of SLE and in addition 35 normal healthy controls from general population were included in the study. Serum levels of prolactin, estrogen, RA factor and ESR were estimated and correlated. The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 17. The student t-test and chi-square test was used the p-value <0.05 consider significant. The results showed that patients suffering from SLE have highly significant [p<0.001] serum level of reproductive hormones prolactin and estrogen, in addition, significant changes in ESR indicate the infection when compared with control. Further, prolactin was negatively correlated with estrogen as well as with menarche while BMI have positively correlation with estrogen regardless of prolactin and menarche. Enhanced serum prolactin and estrogen changes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], may be used as a prognostic tool for autoimmune diseases

importance of ethics in health care system

Ethics form the base ground of values which differ from one culture to another. Ethics was applied in health care system, since ancient Egyptian times. A physician has moral obligations towards his patient based on physician -patient's relationship. The ethical principle of confidentiality confirms that patient can trust his health care provider not to disclose any information that the patient may have given in order to get cured. A current ethical issue in research involving human participant's informed consent has prime importance. The subject and his guardian must have the capacity to understand the issue in question and the possible risks of treatment in the trial study. We need to do more to ensure that medical research practices are sound and ethical, and the goals of research should be secondary to the well-being of the participants