The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety levels among patients who have to go to the hospital due to chronic illnesses: A prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer and hemodialysis (HD) patients are at high risk for COVID-19. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of pandemic on anxiety in these patients. METHODS: One hundred and six oncology and 97 HD patients participated in the study. Anxiety levels were assessed by using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). At the end of 8-month follow-up, these questionnaires were re-administered. RESULTS: During this period, 38 patients (38/203; 18.7%) had COVID-19 infection. Twenty-three patients (23/203; 11.3%) died due to COVID-19 and/or other causes. One hundred and thirteen of the remaining patients were participated in the second questionnaire. Having COVID-19 was not the independent factor for changes in STAI, and BAI scores in any regression models. CONCLUSION: Having COVID-19 does not affect the increased anxiety levels in HD and oncology patients. The effect of the pandemic may have remained in the background, as these patients have more concerns about their own diseases.

Effect of anxiety on COVID-19 infection in hemodialysis patients.

Some evidence suggests that anxiety deteriorate the immune system. We aimed to determine the effect of anxiety on COVID-19 infection in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Our study was conducted with 80 HD patients. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaires were administered between April 15 and May 1, 2020. These patients were followed up for about 8 months and COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates were recorded. Twenty-one (26%) of the patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Fourteen out of twenty one (66.6%) of the patients were hospitalized, and 8/21 (38%) of them died due to COVID-19. STAI-S (p= 0.006) and BAI (p= 0.021) scores were found to be higher and STAI-T (p= 0.040) score was found to be lower in HD patients who were infected with COVID-19 compared to without, at the follow-up period. It might be concluded in this study that COVID-19 was more common in anxious HD patients.

Effects of Subchronic Treatment with Ibuprofen and Nimesulide on Spatial Memory and NMDAR Subunits Expression in Aged Rats.

Several studies point to an important function of cyclooxygenase (COX) and prostaglandin signaling in models of synaptic plasticity which is associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Cyclooxygenase gene is suggested to be an immediate early gene that is tightly regulated in neurons by NMDA dependent synaptic activity. Nonsteroid Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) exert their antiinflammatory effect by the inhibion of COX have controversial effects on learning and memory. We administered ibuprofen as a non-selective COX-2 inhibitor and nimesulide as a selective COX-2 inhibitor for 8 weeks for determining the cognitive impact of subchronic administration of NSAIDs to aged rats. Wistar albino rats (16 mo, n = 30) were separated into control (n = 10), ibuprofen (n = 10) and nimesulide (n = 10) treated groups. First we evaluated hippocampus-dependent spatial memory in the radial arm maze (RAM) and than we evaluated the expression of the NMDAR subunits, NR2A and NR2B by western blotting to see if their expressions are effected by subchronic administration with these drugs. Ibuprofen and nimesulide treated rats completed the task in a statistically significant shorter time when compared with control group (p < 0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference between groups about choice accuracy data in RAM. Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was detected for the protein expressions of NR2A and NR2B of the subjects. Oral administration of ibuprofen and nimesulide for 8 weeks showed no impairment but partly improved spatial memory.

PPAR-gamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism is associated with weight gain in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The polymorphisms of peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor-gamma2 (PPAR-gamma2) have been suggested to affect glucose metabolism and weight gain. Both conditions show great variations during pregnancy that makes pregnancy a suitable condition to detect any metabolic abnormalities related to PPAR-gamma2 polymorphisms. The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence and metabolic impacts of PPAR-gamma2 polymorphism in control pregnant women and in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: In this case-control study, anthropometric and metabolic variables of 100 non-diabetic pregnant women and of 62 women who were diagnosed as having GDM according to 100 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were compared on the basis of PPAR-gamma2 polymorphism by univariate analysis of covariance. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics and the mean 50 g glucose challenge test values of pregnant women in both groups on the basis of PPAR-gamma2 genotype, although patients with Pro12Ala polymorphism were significantly taller in GDM group. The Pro12Ala polymorphism had no effect on 100 g OGTT results of patients with GDM. However, patients with GDM who had Pro12Ala polymorphism gained significantly more weight during their pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The PPAR-gamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism was observed to have no effect on glucose metabolism in normal pregnant women and women with GDM. However, only the patients with GDM who had this polymorphism gained significantly more weight during their pregnancy. It seems that Pro12Ala polymorphism plays a dynamic and interactive role in the regulation of BMI and glucose homeostasis.

Association of insulin receptor substrate-1 G972R variant with baseline characteristics of the patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) expression and tyrosine phosphorylation is decreased during pregnancy. Pregnancy may be a suitable condition to detect any abnormalities related to IRS-1 polymorphisms. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and metabolic impacts of IRS-1 G972R polymorphism in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). STUDY DESIGN: Anthropometric and metabolic variables of 62 women who were diagnosed as having GDM according to 100 g oral glucose tolerance test were compared on the basis of IRS-1 polymorphism by univariate analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Patients with IRS-1 G972R were more obese at the beginning of pregnancy, had higher serum fasting insulin and glucose levels. Weight gain during pregnancy and insulin and glucose levels after glucose ingestion was comparable between groups. CONCLUSION: IRS-1 G972R was associated with the baseline characteristics of the patients with GDM, and might be related to insulin resistance that is seen in obese patients with GDM.