Serum resistin and lipid profile in primigravida females with and without preeclampsia: An analytical cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To measure and compare the serum levels of resistin and lipid profile parameters in primigravida females with and without preeclampsia. Methods: The analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, from 2018 to 2020, and comprised primigravida females having gestational age 30-36 weeks. Those with preeclampsia constituted group 1, while normotensive females constituted group 2. All the participants were subjected to detailed history and general physical examination. Serum resistin levels were measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay, and lipid profile parameters were measured using the colorimetric method. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 80 women, 40(50%) were in group 1 with mean age 23.07±2.10 years and mean gestation age 33.45±2.30 weeks. There were 40(50%) women in group 2 with mean age 23.02±2.11 years and mean gestational age 34.45±1.75 weeks. Mean serum resistin was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (p<0.02). Mean levels of lipid parameters were significantly different between the groups (p˂0.05). Conclusion: Preeclampsia was found to be associated with higher levels of resistin and lipid parameters compared to normal pregnancy.

Frequency of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Comparison of Quality of Life between Female Medical Students with and without Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) in female medical students, and to compare the quality of life between those with and without PMDD. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive Study. Place and Duration of the Study: Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, from November 2019 to April 2020. METHODOLOGY: The study included 635 female medical students from the third year to the final year of MBBS. Quality of life was measured by using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) Scale and PMDD was diagnosed as per DSM-V Diagnostic criteria. Data were entered and analysed by IBM SPSS version 23.0. Scores of 4 domains of the WHOQOL-BREF scale were compared between the female medical students with and without PMDD. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Significant proportion i.e., 12.1% (77) out of 635 female medical students had PMDD. There was a significant difference in the physical and psychological domains scores of the WHOQOL-BREF scale between healthy students and students with PMDD (p-value <0.001). CONCLUSION: The physical and Psychological aspects of quality of life are significantly lower in female medical students with PMDD. KEY WORDS: WHOQOL-BREF, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, Female medical students.

Quantitative ultrasound bone profile and vitamin D status in 5-11 years old children with intellectual disability.

OBJECTIVE: To measure serum vitamin D levels and quantitative ultrasound bone profile parameters and their correlation with each other in children with various grades of intellectual disability and bone health. METHODS: The descriptive study was conducted from January to December, 2011, at the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised children aged 5-11 years having intelligence quotient less than 70. Quantitative ultrasound measurements at hand phalanges were taken using an ultrasonic bone profiler. Serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase were measured by calorimetry and 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data was analysed using appropriate statistical tools. RESULTS: Of the 61 children, 35 (57.4%) were boys and 26(42.6%) were girls. Overall median age was 104.48 months (inter quartile range: 77.77-128.04 months). Of the total, 17(27.9%) subjects had below normal bone profile and 51(85%) had less than 20ng/ml 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. A mild negative correlation of 25-hydroxy vitamin D was seen with age (p=0.006). Moderate significant correlations of amplitude dependant speed of sound were observed with age (p<0.001) and alkaline phosphatase (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Significant proportion of children with intellectual disability had below-normal bone profile. Vitamin D levels were extremely low in overwhelming majority of children with intellectual disability. Significant negative correlation of age with Vitamin D and positive correlation with amplitude dependant speed of sound may suggest increasing requirements of vitamin D with age to cope with advancing needs of growing skeleton in children with intellectual disability.

Anxiety and Depression among Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown an association between parental distress and caretaking of children with developmental cognitive delays. There is little data in developing countries, such as Pakistan, concerning the impact of raising children with intellectual disability upon the quality of parent functioning and risk for psychopathology. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of psychopathology i.e. anxiety, depression and both anxiety and depression together among parents of children with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. The study was approved by the Institutional Research Committee. Participants were 198 parents (99 fathers/99 mothers) of 100 children with the diagnosis of ID. Informed consents were obtained. The parents were assessed for anxiety and depression using DSM IV criteria. RESULTS: Significantly high proportion of mothers (89%) had anxiety, depression, or both anxiety and depression together as compared to fathers (77%) (p-value <0.05). Among mothers, 35% met criteria for anxiety, 40% for depression and 13% for both anxiety and depression. Among fathers 42% had anxiety, 31% depression and 3% both anxiety and depression. There was a significant association between gender of parent and individual psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression and anxiety and depression together (p-value <0.05). A significant association was also found between mother's anxiety, depression or both and degree of ID of their children (p-value <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Significantly high proportion of parents of children with ID has psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression or both; 2) the psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression and anxiety and depression together is associated with gender of parent; and, 3) the diagnosis of anxiety, depression or both in mothers was associated with severity of ID in their children.

CONTEXTE: Des études ont montré une association entre la détresse parentale et la garde d'enfants souffrant de retards de développement cognitif. Dans les pays en développement, comme le Pakistan, il existe peu de données au sujet des répercussions d'élever des enfants souffrant de déficience intellectuelle sur la qualité du fonctionnement des parents et le risque de psychopathologie. OBJECTIF: Évaluer le niveau de psychopathologie, c.-à-d., l'anxiété, la dépression et l'anxiété et la dépression à la fois chez les parents d'enfants souffrant de déficience intellectuelle (DI). MÉTHODES: Cette étude intersectorielle a été menée à un hôpital de soins tertiaires du Pakistan. Elle a été approuvée par le comité de recherche institutionnelle. Les participants étaient 198 parents (99 pères/99 mères) de 100 enfants ayant reçu un diagnostic de DI. Des consentements éclairés ont été obtenus. Les critères de l'anxiété et de la dépression du DSM-IV ont servi à évaluer ces troubles chez les parents. RÉSULTATS: Une proportion significativement élevée des mères (89%) souffrait d'anxiété, de dépression ou d'anxiété et de dépression à la fois comparé aux pères (77%) (valeur p < 0,05). Chez les mères, 35 % satisfaisaient aux critères de l'anxiété, 40%, à ceux de la dépression et 13% à ceux de l'anxiété et de la dépression à la fois. Chez les pères, 42% souffraient d'anxiété, 31%, de dépression et 3% d'anxiété et de dépression à la fois. Il y avait une association significative entre le sexe des parents et le diagnostic psychiatrique individuel d'anxiété, de dépression, et d'anxiété et de dépression à la fois (valeur p < 0,05). Une autre association significative a été observée entre l'anxiété, la dépression ou les deux chez la mère et le degré de DI de leurs enfants (valeur p < 0,05). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Une proportion significativement élevée des parents d'enfants souffrant de DI a un diagnostic psychiatrique d'anxiété, de dépression, ou des deux à la fois; 2) le diagnostic psychiatrique d'anxiété, de dépression, ou des deux à la fois est associé au sexe du parent; et 3) le diagnostic d'anxiété, de dépression, ou des deux à la fois chez les mères était associé à la gravité de la DI de leurs enfants.