Search

Introduction. Metabolic complications are common after kidney transplantation and can cause considerable morbidity and even threaten graft function. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and its impact on graft function in 10 years of follow-up of patients undergoing kidney transplantation. Materials and Methods. This prospective study was conducted on 73 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between April 1996 and April 1998 to evaluate their lipid profile and graft function as well as the effect of hyperlipidemia in long-term kidney allograft function. Kidney allograft dysfunction was defined as a serum creatinine level greater than 1.8 mg/dL. Results. The mean serum triglyceride level was higher at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years, but not 7 years, among patients with graft dysfunction in comparison with patients with normal graft function. However, these differences were not significant. The mean serum total cholesterol level was significantly higher in patients with graft dysfunction at 1 year (P = .03). Of the patients with graft dysfunction, 94.7% developed hypercholesterolemia at the first year visit, as compared to 70.4% of patients with normal graft function (P = .03). The frequency of hypercholesterolemia was higher among those with a serum creatinine greater than 1.8 mg/dL at all other visits, but without significant difference. Conclusions. Hyperlipidemia is common after kidney transplantation, especially in the first year after transplantation. Higher serum total cholesterol levels might be related to graft dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated effects of oral glibenclamide on brain contusion volume and functional outcome of patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries., Methods: A randomized clinical trial including 66 patients with moderate (Glasgow Coma Scale score 9-12) to severe (Glasgow Coma Scale score 5-8) traumatic brain injury and brain contusions of <30 mL volume was conducted from May 2015 to August 2016 in a Level I trauma center in southern Iran. Patients who required surgical intervention were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg oral glibenclamide daily for 10 days (n = 29) or placebo in the same dosage (n = 23). Brain contusion volumetry was performed on days 0, 3, and 7 using spiral thin-cut brain computed tomography scan (1-mm thickness). Outcome measures including modified Rankin Scale, Glasgow Outcome Scale, and Disability Rating Scale were evaluated 3 months after injury., Results: There was no significant difference between the 2 study groups in baseline, day 3, and day 7 contusion volumes. Patients receiving glibenclamide had a significantly lower expansion ratio from first to second volumetry (P < 0.001). Similarly, the first to third expansion ratio was significantly lower in the glibenclamide group compared with placebo (P = 0.003). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding functional outcome measured by Glasgow Outcome Scale, modified Rankin Scale, and Disability Rating Scale., Conclusions: Oral glibenclamide is associated with decreased contusion expansion rate in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries sustaining cerebral contusions., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, metabolic risk factors, and thyroid dysfunction among a healthy urban population., Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the patients were evaluated for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using ultrasonography. The participants' characteristics such as age, sex, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and history of diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were recorded using a data gathering form. The patients were compared to those without NAFLD in terms of metabolic factors and thyroid abnormalities., Results: From 832 participants, 127 (15.3%) individuals had NAFLD.  Metabolic syndrome was detected in 39 participants (30.70 %) with NAFLD and in 85 participants (12.05%) without NAFLD (P < 0.001) (OR: 3.22; 95 % CI: 2.07-5.01). In multivariate logistic regression analysis BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and higher serum ALT levels were independent predictors for NAFLD (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in serum TSH, free T4, and free T3 levels between the participants with NAFLD and the participants without NAFLD (P > 0.05). Neither hypothyroidism nor markers of thyroid autoimmunity were associated with NAFLD in our study population (P > 0.05). Serum TSH was categorized according to 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile to <1.29 mIU/L, 1.29-1.91 mIU/L, 1.91-2.77 mIU/L, and >2.77 mIU/L. Compared with non-NAFLD participants, the diagnosis of NAFLD was significantly higher in the low TSH group (P = 0.004)., Conclusion: Central obesity as reflected by waist-to-hip ratio is one of the major risk factors for NAFLD. However, thyroid dysfunction was not correlated with NAFLD and the observed alterations in thyroid hormones are due to sick euthyroid syndrome.

Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are contributors to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Insulin resistance is also responsible in pathogenesis of type II diabetes. Several studies previously evaluated the role of H. pylori infection in coronary heart disease and type II diabetes. Recently published data have described the association between H. pylori infection with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. However, this is still a controversial subject. Here in, we reviewed current status and present data toward this topic.

Irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) affects a large proportion of the world's population, and accounts for a considerable number of visits to gastroenterologists and general practitioners. Despite its high prevalence, the precise mechanism of IBS has not been identified to date. The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) participate in the production of slow waves and the regulation of their propagation through the gastrointestinal system; thus, they are important components of gastrointestinal motility. The present review proposes that ICC play a central role in the pathophysiology of IBS. This hypothesis is based on many links between ICC and currently proposed mechanisms of IBS pathophysiology. It appears that ICC may be involved in almost all of the previously explained pathogenic mechanisms of IBS. If proven, this hypothesis may provide a key to solving the IBS mystery.

Some drugs including streptokinase have been reported to precipitate Guillain-Barré syndrome. We report a 70-year-old man with acute anterior myocardial infarction who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome seven days after thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase.

This study aimed to determine the relation between Helicobacter pylori infection and insulin resistance in healthy subjects. In a cross-sectional case control study between January and April 2007, a total of 71 healthy subjects without the exclusion criteria completed the study. Forty-three (60.6%) patients were H. pylori positive and 28 (39.4%) patients were H. pylori negative. Age and body mass index of the patients were not significantly different between the two groups (32.2 +/- 14.2 vs. 33 +/- 8.05 years and 23.15 +/- 4.5 vs. 24.04 +/- 3.2 kg/m(2), respectively). H-pylori-positive patients had significantly higher HOMA-IR level compared to H-pylori-negative patients (3.54 +/- 2.2 vs. 2.46 +/- 1.9, respectively) (P < 0.05). Fasting serum insulin level was significantly higher in the H-pylori-positive group compared with the H-pylori-negative group (19.41 +/- 3.08 vs. 16.57 +/- 2.02 microU/ml, respectively) (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest recognition of H. pylori infection as a risk factor for insulin resistance.