Aluminum Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Mechanism and Treatment of Intoxication.

Aluminum poisoning has been reported in some parts of the world. It is one of the global health problems that affect many organs. Aluminum is widely used daily by humans and industries. Residues of aluminum compounds can be found in drinking water, food, air, medicine, deodorants, cosmetics, packaging, many appliances and equipment, buildings, transportation industries, and aerospace engineering. Exposure to high levels of aluminum compounds leads to aluminum poisoning. Aluminum poisoning has complex and multidimensional effects, such as disruption or inhibition of enzymes activities, changing protein synthesis, nucleic acid function, and cell membrane permeability, preventing DNA repair, altering the stability of DNA organization, inhibition of the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity, increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, inducing oxidative stress, decreasing activity of antioxidant enzymes, altering cellular iron homeostasis, and changing NF-kB, p53, and JNK pathway leading to apoptosis. Aluminum poisoning can affect blood content, musculoskeletal system, kidney, liver, and respiratory and nervous system, and the extent of poisoning can be diagnosed by assaying aluminum compounds in blood, urine, hair, nails, and sweat. Chelator agents such as deferoxamine (DFO) are used in the case of aluminum poisoning. Besides, combination therapies are recommended.

Zinc Poisoning - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments.

Zinc poisoning has been reported from many parts of the world. It is one of the global health problems that affect many organs, if exposed by inhalation of zinc vapors or by consumption of contaminated food and water. Long term exposure to zinc compounds from different sources such as air, water, soil, and food, lead to toxic effects on body systems, especially digestive, respiratory, and nerve systems, and also causes cancer. Zinc levels can be determined in blood, urine, hair, and nails. Patients with zinc toxicity need chelating agents, other pharmacological treatment, protective lung ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and supportive care.

Evaluation Of Atherosclerosis Severity Based On Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness Changes: A New Diagnostic Criterion.

This study aimed to identify instant intima-media thickness changes (ΔIMT) in the common carotid artery (CCA) during cardiac cycle in order to assess atherosclerosis progression. Using a computerized semi-automated method, instant IMT changes were extracted in the two walls of the left CCA (240 consecutive patients) using B-mode ultrasound images. We found that CCA ΔIMT increased from 8 ± 4% of IMTmax in the controls to 15 ± 6% of IMTmax in the severe stenosis group. According to the multiple ordinal regression analysis, ΔIMT was associated with the severity of carotid artery stenosis (odds ratio [OR], 4.95; p < 0.001), independent of sex (OR, 1.11; p = 0.04), age (OR, 1.14; p < 0.001), body mass index; OR, 1.13; p = 0.036), hypertension (OR, 2.04; p < 0.001), diabetes (OR, 1.38; p = 0.045) and hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.54; p = 0.002). We concluded that increment of CCA ΔIMT during the cardiac cycle was strongly and independently associated with severity of carotid artery stenosis or atherosclerosis progression.