An Evaluation of Applicability of Salivary Uric Acid Measurement in Preeclampsia and Normal Pregnancy and Its Correlation with Serum Uric Acid.

PURPOSE: Hypertensive disorders complicate 5-10% of all pregnancies and contribute greatly to maternal morbidity and mortality. There are various biomarkers for detection of preeclampsia. Several studies have reported that positive correlation exists between serum uric acid (UA) levels and adverse maternal and fetal outcome. Significant advances have been made toward validation of salivary biomarkers. We conducted this study to determine levels of salivary UA and its correlation with serum UA normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. METHODS: Present cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. One hundred and fifty participants were divided into control group (50 healthy non-pregnant females), study group I (50 normotensive pregnant females), study group II (50 pregnant females with preeclampsia), and both salivary and serum UA was estimated at the same time. RESULTS: Saliva UA of study group II (4.86 ± 2.37 mg/dl) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of control group (2.09 ± 1.33 mg/dl) and study group I (3.32 ± 1.77 mg/dl). Serum UA of study group II (6.63 + 2.78 mg/dl) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of control group (2.94 + 1.94 mg/dl) and also study group I (5.18 + 2.31 mg/dl) (p = 0.0006). CONCLUSION: UA is present in the saliva of women with preeclampsia and has linear correlation with serum UA. Therefore, salivary UA can be used in place of invasive serum UA to monitor women with preeclampsia. Saliva collection is easy, noninvasive and cost-effective. Salivary UA testing may be useful for monitoring preeclampsia at home-based and hospital setting.

Palmoplantar keratoderma with growth hormone deficiency.

Palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) is a diverse group of disorders, characterized by thickening of the palms and soles, which are subdivided into focal or diffuse; it can be acquired or hereditary. Syndromic association of PPK is described in literature with all patterns of inheritance. Skin and nail changes, predisposition to malignancy, skeletal deformities, dwarfism and enamel abnormalities are rarely associated with PPK. In this case report, we present monozygotic twin sisters with palmoplantar keratoderma and growth hormone deficiency. We speculate a common mutation leading to these two apparently unrelated entities.

Autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with vitiligo: prevalence study in India.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in Asian Indian patients with vitiligo and to compare the clinical profile between thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody-positive and TPO antibody-negative groups. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, case-controlled study, 50 patients with vitiligo (29 women and 21 men) were included. Patients with previous disorders, irradiation, or surgical procedures involving the thyroid were excluded from the study. All participants underwent a complete physical examination, and a single fasting blood sample was analyzed for thyroid function (triiodothyronine, thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies), inflammatory and immunologic markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and rheumatoid factor), and serum calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations. All patients underwent thyroid ultrasonography, and the data were analyzed by appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants was 42.7 ± 17 years, and 14 of 50 patients (28%) had TPO antibody positivity. A goiter was present in 11 of 50 patients, and the thyroid volume by ultrasonography was similar between the 2 groups. Subclinical hypothyroidism was found in 14 of 50 patients (28%) but more frequently in the TPO antibody-positive group (8 of 14 or 57%) than in the TPO antibody-negative group (6 of 36 or 17%). The prevalence of AITD was 20 of 50 patients (40%) when the TPO antibody-positive group and those with subclinical hypothyroidism were considered collectively. None of the patients had overt hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. All other clinical, biochemical, and inflammatory variables did not differ significantly between the TPO antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups. CONCLUSION: Our data showed a 40% prevalence of thyroid disease in patients with vitiligo in India. The risk is exacerbated in patients with thyroid autoimmunity; thus, regular screening of patients with vitiligo for AITD is needed.

SADDAN syndrome.

Achondroplasia is the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism in children resulting from fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) mutations. Activating mutations of FGFR3 also result in other forms of skeletal dysplasia and craniosynostosis. Acanthosis nigricans is associated with these skeletal dysplasias and we recently encountered a skeletal dysplasia along with acanthosis nigricans in a young boy. We report the case due its unusual nature affecting one of twin brothers.

Mitigation of chlorine gas lung injury in rats by postexposure administration of sodium nitrite.

Nitrite (NO(2)(-)) has been shown to limit injury to the heart, liver, and kidneys in various models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Potential protective effects of systemic NO(2)(-) in limiting lung injury or enhancing repair have not been documented. We assessed the efficacy and mechanisms by which postexposure intraperitoneal injections of NO(2)(-) mitigate chlorine (Cl(2))-induced lung injury in rats. Rats were exposed to Cl(2) (400 ppm) for 30 min and returned to room air. NO(2)(-) (1 mg/kg) or saline was administered intraperitoneally at 10 min and 2, 4, and 6 h after exposure. Rats were killed at 6 or 24 h. Injury to airway and alveolar epithelia was assessed by quantitative morphology, protein concentrations, number of cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and wet-to-dry lung weight ratio. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measurement of lung F(2)-isoprostanes. Rats developed severe, but transient, hypoxemia. A significant increase of protein concentration, neutrophil numbers, airway epithelia in the BAL, and lung wet-to-dry weight ratio was evident at 6 h after Cl(2) exposure. Quantitative morphology revealed extensive lung injury in the upper airways. Airway epithelial cells stained positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), but not caspase-3. Administration of NO(2)(-) resulted in lower BAL protein levels, significant reduction in the intensity of the TUNEL-positive cells, and normal lung wet-to-dry weight ratios. F(2)-isoprostane levels increased at 6 and 24 h after Cl(2) exposure in NO(2)(-)- and saline-injected rats. This is the first demonstration that systemic NO(2)(-) administration mitigates airway and epithelial injury.