Association between Atherogenic Index and Cholesterol to HDL Ratio in COVID-19 Patients During the Initial Phase of Infection.

This case-control study aimed to assess pathologic alteration in the serum levels of the atherogenic index, cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HbA1c, and glucose in 158 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Erbil international hospital, Erbil, Iraq, between January and May 2020, in the early stage of infection. The patients were confirmed for SARS-CoV-2 on admission. The laboratory test results were compared between this group and a group of healthy individuals (n=158). A statistically significant difference was found between the studied factors in healthy controls and COVID-19 patients, except for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (P=0.13). In the case of COVID-19 patients, total levels of cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were significantly lower than controls (P<0.003). Triglyceride, VLDL cholesterol, atherogenic index, and total cholesterol to HDL ratio were found to be significantly higher in COVID-19 patients, compared to controls (P<0.005). Atherogenic index were found to be positively correlated with triglyceride (r=0.88, P=0.00), HbA1C (r=0.6, P=0.05), and glucose index (r= 0.62, P= 0.05), and the ratio of cholesterol to HDL (r=0.64, P=0.04). In contrast, no correlation was found between atherogenic index and cholesterol to HDL ratio in controls. The results of the current study indicated that risk factors for the cardiovascular disease increased in patients with COVID-19 infection, which included atherogenic index, cholesterol to HDL ratio, as well as the association between atherogenic index, and all were organized in one cluster. Therefore, lipids can perform a vital physiological function in patients infected with COVID-19.

Combined effect of exposure to lead and chlordane on the testicular tissues of swiss mice.

Chlordane, is one of many environmental pollutants that reach human or animal body through food and water consumption, its presence may frequently be associated with other metals such as lead. In this work, the toxicity of chlordane and lead to reproductive tissues in Swiss mice was studied. Oral daily doses of 75 and 275 mg/kg b.w. were administered to male mice, for 35 days, animals were sacrificed at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th week. The results show that chloradane had a damaging effect on testicular tissues, the effect was obvious through reduction in diameter of the seminiferous tubules, number of spermatogonia, and primary and secondary spermatocytes and spermatids. The effect was remarkably increased by the presence of lead, which needs more investigation in order to determine whether it's a synergistic or additive effect.

Metabolism of paracetamol in children with chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the metabolism of single doses of paracetamol in paediatric patients with chronic liver disease admitted to a hospital liver disease clinic. RESULTS: Thirteen paediatric patients, aged 7 months to 12 years, with chronic liver disease of varying severity were studied. In these children, paracetamol elimination half-life was negatively correlated with serum albumin and positively with prothrombin time, as previously reported in adults with liver disease. The rate constant of glucuronide formation was higher in the children with liver disease compared to the value reported in healthy children of similar ages. The rate constant of the formation of paracetamol sulphate was no different from that in normal children. The 36 h urinary paracetamol glucuronide to sulphate ratio was 1.4 (95% CI 0.8 to 1.7). This mean ratio was higher than in healthy children (0.81 and 0.75) but not significantly so, probably because of a Type 1 error due to the inevitable small sample size arising from the nature of the population being studied. CONCLUSION: The present study provides reassuring additional data to indicate that, at least for single doses, there is no cause for concern in the use of paracetamol in children with chronic liver disease.

Assay of paracetamol and its metabolites in urine, plasma and saliva of children with chronic liver disease.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay of paracetamol and its metabolites is described. The method for quantifying the metabolism of paracetamol in children with chronic liver disease and the good correlation between plasma and salivary concentrations of paracetamol is demonstrated. Despite an increasing bias between the two methods with increasing concentration of paracetamol, it is concluded that salivary assay is satisfactory for characterising paracetamol pharmacokinetics in the group of patients studied.