ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of consuming water with high fluoride content on thyroid hormone status. Methods: The comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Sammu Rind village of district Tharparkar, Pakistan, where ground water was the only source of drinking and had fluoride content >6-8mg/dL, and another set of people from Gadap Town, Karachi, where ground water had fluoride level of 0.3mg/L. Thyroid profile, including serum thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine, were checked for both the exposed and the unexposed groups, and data was cross-tabulated with thyroid profile to check statistical significance. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 242 subjects, 121(50%) each were in the exposed and the unexposed group. Among the exposed, 15(12.4%) people had hypothyroidism, 104(86%) had euthyroid and 2(1.6%) had hyperthyroid. Corresponding values in the unexposed group were 10(8%), 105(87%) and 6(5%). The difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).
Subject(s)
Drinking Water , Cross-Sectional Studies , Fluorides/analysis , Humans , Pakistan , Thyroid HormonesABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the effects of drinking water with high fluoride level on liver functions. Method: This is a descriptive comparative cross-sectional study conducted at Sammu rind village where the drinking water has increase fluoride content. The comparative area was Gadap town where the drinking water has normal fluoride level. Sampling was done randomly and sample size was calculated by WHO calculator and found to be 121 each for exposed and unexposed population. Blood samples taken for liver functions included bilirubin, AST, ALT, Alkaline phosphate, Gamma GT, total protein, albumin and globulin. SPSS version 16 was used for analysis. Mean and SD calculated for quantitative variable and the two comparative groups were cross-tabulated. To check the statistical significance t-test was applied. Results: There was no statistically significant difference with consideration to serum bilirubin, ALT, and AST. However, statistically significant difference was established with respect to alkaline phosphatase, Gamma GT total proteins and A/G ratio between two groups. Conclusion: In our study, there was no evidence of impaired liver function tests in subjects drinking water with high fluoride content.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is mainly a respiratory illness, causing hypoxemia in the majority of those been infected. In our study, we aimed to correlate the biochemical markers with hypoxemia and predicting the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was conducted to include all the admitted COVID-19 patients (n = 183) diagnosed by a real-time Polymerase chain reaction and evaluated those for hypoxemia and disease outcomes by utilizing the biochemical markers. RESULTS: Out of the 183 patients, 117 were in the ward, 66 were in ICU, 148 of them recovered, while 35 deaths were reported, 89 patients were having persisting hypoxemia (despite oxygen therapy) during the hospital stay, and the remaining 94 were non-hypoxemic with or without supplemental oxygen therapy. There were significant differences in mean hemoglobin (p = 0.028), total leukocyte count (p = 0.005), Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.001), serum urea and creatinine (p = 0.002), serum potassium (p = 0.009), C-reactive protein (p = 0.001), Lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.005), and Ferritin (p = 0.042) of the hypoxemic patients versus non-hypoxemic group. Amongst the deceased patients, there was significant leukocytosis (p = 0.008), increased Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.001), elevated C-reactive protein (p = 0.001), and Lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.009). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (p < 0.001), C-reactive protein (p < 0.001), and Lactate dehydrogenase (p < 0.001) most significantly associated with hypoxemia and death. CONCLUSION: The inflammatory markers are a good guide for predicting the hypoxemia and disease outcome. The results concluded Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, and Lactate dehydrogenase were effective biomarkers in predicting a severe course of COVID-19, but could not establish significant associations of serum Ferritin, Procalcitonin, and D-Dimer.
