ABSTRACT
Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 virus more than 12,500,000 cases have been reported worldwide. Patients suffering from diabetes and other comorbidities are particularly susceptible to severe forms of the COVID-19, which might result in chronic complications following recovery. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors exert beneficial effects in prevention/treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, heart, and kidney injury, and since they may be a long-term consequence caused by COVID-19, it is reasonable to expect that DPP-4 inhibitors might be beneficial in alleviating long-term consequences of COVID-19. With that in mind, we would like to voice our concerns over chronic implications following recovery from COVID-19, especially not only in diabetic but also in non-diabetic patients, and to indicate that some preventive measures could be undertaken by application of DPP-4 inhibitors.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. The study included 60 patients with SH and a control group of 60 healthy volunteers, gender and age matched, with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxin (FT4) concentration. The following measurements were made in all participants: TSH, FT4, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), TC/HDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio, basal insulin level and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. MetS was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The results showed that the following indices were statistically significantly higher in the SH group: BMI (p < 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), TC (p < 0.05), TG (p < 0.05) and basal insulin level (p < 0.05). Although MetS parameters were present in a higher per cent in the SH group, there was a significantly higher number of patients with hypertension and decreased HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05). More frequently, MetS was diagnosed in SH patients (46.67%) than in the control group (33.33%), although the difference was not statistically significant. These results indicated that the traditional cardiovascular risk factors were more frequently present in SH patients as compared to euthyroid participants. Our results did not confirm significantly higher presence of MetS in SH patients in comparison with euthyroid respondents.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in our geographic area, and to determine if there is a correlation between HCV genotypes and the development of HCC. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with HCV-related HCC and 35 controls with HCV-associated cirrhosis without HCC were studied. The diagnosis of HCV infection was performed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies and by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the detection of HCV-RNA. HCV genotyping was performed by line probe assay-Inno-LIPA HCV II. The diagnosis of underlying disease in the patients with HCC was performed on the basis of clinical, biochemical or histological evidence. RESULTS: Genotype 1b was found in 28 (77.77%) patients with HCC, and in 16 (45.71%) controls. There was significant difference in the prevalence of genotype 1b between the patients with HCC and those with cirrhosis without HCC (P<0.05). Having analyzed the diagnosis of underlying diseases, underlying cirrhosis in 29 (80.55%) and chronic active hepatitis in 7 (19.44%) patients with HCC was found. CONCLUSION: Results of the present study suggest that there is a correlation between HCV genotype 1b and the development of HCC. Our findings also add support to the hypothesis that cirrhosis is a major step in liver carcinogenesis associated with HCV, which suggests an indirect role of HCV in the pathogenesis of HCC.
