Ameliorating Effect of Apium graveolens (Celery) Extracts on IL-6 Plasma Level and Expression of Caspase 3 on Liver in Animal Model of Lead Intoxication.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Lead poisoning (Pb) is a big problem because it is found in almost all objects in daily life such as vehicle fuel, water pipes, ceramics, cosmetics and others. Continuous lead exposure can increase ROS resulting in an increase in hepatic IL-6 and caspase 3 which replaces hepatic cell apoptosis. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of <i>Apium graveolens</i> (celery) extract on plasma IL-6 and hepatic caspase 3 levels. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> This study used a post-test control group design. The research subjects were 20 Wistar rats that met the inclusion criteria and were divided into 4 groups randomly, namely (a) Sham group that had no treatment, (b) Negative control group was induced with lead acetate 200 mg kg¹ body weight/day without any treatment (c) Positive control group and (d) Treated group. On the 15th day, blood was taken to check IL-6 levels and tissue was taken for liver caspase 3 examination by immunohistochemical method. Data analysis used the one-way ANOVA test and continued with the <i>post hoc</i> LSD test. <b>Results:</b> The highest mean caspase 3 expression was in the control group 45.84±4.39 pg mL¹, while the mean of IL-6 plasma level was highest in the P1 641.33±39.72 pg mL¹ group. The Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference in IL-6 levels between the study groups (p = 0.000). The Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference in caspase 3 levels between the study groups (p = 0.000). <b>Conclusion:</b> Giving celery extract 300 mg kg¹ body weight/day affects plasma IL-6 and hepatic caspase 3 levels in lead acetate-induced rats.

Hematological and Biochemical Parameters at Admission as Predictors for Mortality in Patients with Moderate to Severe COVID-19.

Background: Timely diagnosis and effective use of available resources are urgent to avoid the loss of time, medical, and technological resources, particularly in COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the most dominant predicting factor for mortality in moderate-severe COVID-19 patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a total of 253 patients diagnosed with moderate-severe COVID-19. The primary outcome measure was mortality during hospitalization. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine cut-off points. The data were categorized according to the cut-off points in ROC curve and analyzed using Chi-square and by binary logistic regression test to identify the independent predictors associated with mortality. Results: The mean number of leukocytes (/µL), neutrophils (%), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein (CRP, mg/L), and D-dimer (mg/L) in the non-survived group was significantly higher than those of the survived group. Meanwhile, the mean number of platelet count/µL, absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), in the non-survived group was significantly lower than those of the survived group. CRP level predicted mortality with a cut-off point of ≥8.41 mg/L, sensitivity of 98.1%, and specificity of 72.0% (P = .000). Conclusions: High leukocyte count, low platelet count, high NLR, high CRP level, and high D-dimer on admission predicted mortality of COVID-19 patients. In addition, CRP was found to be the most dominant predicting factor of mortality in moderate-severe COVID-19 patients.

A Case-Control Study of the MTHFR C665T Gene Polymorphism on Macrocytic Anemia Among HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Zidovudine.

Background: Macrocytic anemia is the most common anemia in HIV-infected patients receiving zidovudine, and is closely related to folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Homocysteine >10 µmol/L and increased MMA (methylmalonic acid) levels >24.8 ng/mL indicate high/low folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Furthermore, MTHFR (Methylene-tetrahydrofolate-reductase) plays an essential role in the transmethylation of homocysteine to methionine and is related to DNA synthesis. The MTHFR C665T gene polymorphism decreases the activity of MTHFR, which culminates in homocysteinemia. Therefore, this case-control aims to assess the role of the MTHFR C665T gene polymorphism on the risk of macrocytic anemia among HIV-infected individuals receiving zidovudine. Methods: This study was conducted using an unmatched case-control design and the participants were HIV-infected adults aged 20 to 59 years old, receiving zidovudine for four weeks and above. A sample of 232 patients was divided into case group with macrocytic anemia and the control having no anemia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then implemented to determine the risk factors. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the number of female and male patients namely 51.3% and 48.7%, respectively, with p< 0.001. Moreover, the mean age of the cases and control group was 41.9 ± 9.4 and 36.2 ± 8.3. Regarding education, there were significant differences between subjects with low and high education 47.8% vs 52.2% with p<0.001. The majority of patients or 90.95% had taken AZT for more than 6 months. The logistic regression analysis test results showed that sex, age, education level, duration of AZT use, and homocysteine levels were predictors of macrocytic anemia with p<0.05, while MTHFR C665T gene polymorphism and MMA levels were not risk factors. Conclusion: MTHFR C665T gene polymorphism does not contribute to the incidence of macrocytic anemia among HIV-infected individuals receiving zidovudine.

Hypoxia-preconditioned MSCs Have Superior Effect in Ameliorating Renal Function on Acute Renal Failure Animal Model.

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF) is a serious disease characterised by a rapid loss of renal functions due to nephrotoxic drug or ischemic insult. The clinical treatment approach such as dialysis techniques and continuous renal enhancement have grown rapidly during past decades. However, there is yet no significant effect in improving renal function. Hypoxia-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells (HP-MSCs) have positive effects on the in vitro survival and stemness, in addition to angiogenic potential. AIM: In this study, we aimed to analyse the effect of HP-MSCs administration in improving renal function, characterised by blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine level. METHODS: A group of 15 male Wistar rats weighing 250 g to 300 g were used in this study (n = 5 for each group). Rats were randomly distributed into 3 groups: Vehicle control (Veh) as a control group, HP-MSCs and normoxia MSCs (N-MSCs) as the treatment group. Renal function was evaluated based on the BUN and creatinine levels using the colourimetric method on day 5 and 13. The histological analysis using HE staining was performed on day 13. RESULTS: The result showed there is a significant decrease in BUN and creatinine level (p < 0.05). The histological analysis of renal tissue also showed a significant decrease between Veh and treatment group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on this study, we conclude that HP-MSCs have a superior beneficial effect than N-MSCs in improving renal function in an animal model of gentamicin-induced ARF.