Oral manifestations of chronic kidney disease

Current study was performed to evaluate the oral health status in patients with chronic kidney disease [CKD] on dialysis. This was a descriptive study. Hundred chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis were recruited in the study. Findings of the noninvasive oral examination and completed clinico demographic profile were recorded. Out of hundred patients, 53 were males and 47 were females. Mean age of patients was 51.16 +/- 15.09 years with age range of 22 to 83 years. On oral examination, oral hygiene was found to be poor in 47patients, moderate in 52 and good only in one patient. Xerostomia was present in 87% patients followed by thickened mucosa [12%], angular cheilitis [29%], periodontitis [41%], gingivitis [17%], tooth erosion [40%], tooth mobility [38%], ammonia like odour [Uraemic fetor] [45%], coated tongue [17%], mucosal pallor [37%], metallic taste [48%] and mucosal pigmentation [20%]. Regular oral I dental checkup I referral is needed for the better oral health in these patients and that will improve the compliance to oral drug therapy which in turn will promote the quality of life of CKD patients on dialysis with minimal complications

Association of ABO blood groups with diabetes mellitus

So far no studies have been performed in Malaysia to look at association of diabetes mellitus [DM] with blood groups. We studied the association of ABO blood groups with DM type 2. It was a case control study conducted at Kepala Batas Hospital Batas, Penang, Malaysia in the year 2009, involving 70 patients with DM type 2 and 140 healthy controls. Ethical approval was obtained from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Blood samples were collected from the patients after consent. Samples were tested for ABO blood groups using ID-Card gel method. Chi-square test results showed that there was an association between the ABO blood groups and DM type 2. It was found that A and O blood groups were negatively associated with DM type 2 [P<0.05] with higher percentage of A and O groups individuals were non-diabetic. No significant association was noted between DM type 2 and blood groups B [P=0.423] and AB [P=0.095]. It was also noted that B blood group was distributed with highest percentage among patients with DM type 2 [53.71%] compared to controls [22.52%], but no statistical significance achieved. The results obtained suggest that there was a negative association between ABO blood groups A and O with DM type 2, with A and O group having less chances of diabetes. Large studies in other ethnic groups are needed to confirm these results

role of ultrasonography to discriminate between schistosomiasis and virus-related chronic liver disease

The aim of our study was to assess the role of ultrasonography in patients with chronic liver diseases in discriminating between schistosomiasis and viral hepatitis infections in Egypt, an area where these infections are endemic. We assessed 114 patients with chronic liver disease, clinically, ultrasonographically, biochemically, virologically, parasitologically and by liver biopsy. According to histological diagnosis; 7.9% of patients had portal fibrosis, 43% chronic hepatitis, 47.4% cirrhosis and 1.8% hepatic malignancies. Patients with cirrhosis 44 [49.4%] of them had pure HCV infection. The longitudinal diameter of the spleen was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis- virus related liver disease than those with pure schistosomiasis, while no significant differences were found in the degree of periportal thickening between the two groups. This study shows that ultrasonography alone can not be used as a screening procedure to discriminate between schistosomiasis and viral hepatitis infections in areas where these infections are highly associated, such as in Egypt