Epigenetics, Nutrition, and Growth Koletzko, Berthold; El Sharkawy, Mohammed
World review of nutrition and dietetics,
2022, Letnik:
125
Journal Article
Background
Myringoplasty operation is the reconstruction of the tympanic membrane (TM) which is performed to prevent recurrent discharge of the ear and to improve the hearing impairment which is ...caused by TM perforation. Platelets are the key factors in tissue repair mechanisms. They provide essential growth factors, which stimulate fibroblasts to create extracellular matrix deposition and neovascularization. The aim of this study is the assessment of the topical use of autologous platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in the improvement of myringoplasty success rate.
Results
Patients were divided to two groups, group A included 20 patients who were submitted to myringoplasty operation with adding of PRF from the same patient, and group B included 20 patients who were submitted to myringoplasty operation without adding of PRF. At 6 months postoperatively, the success rate (graft taking) in case group A (95%) was significantly higher than in the control group (70%) (
P
value = 0.037). Success in terms of hearing gain of the air-bone gap was more than 10 dB achieved in 19 patients (95%) in case group A, and 14 patients (70%) in control group B were with a statistically non-significant difference (
P
value = 0.079). There was no effect of PRF use on hearing gain in graft-taken cases because hearing gain is related to the closure of TM.
Conclusion
Topical PRF application over tragal perichondreal graft during myringoplasty is successful, safe, and highly efficient with no complications. PRF improves healing of chronic TM perforations and prevents postoperative infection.
Abstract
Background
: Keratoconus (KC) is a bilateral asymmetric localised inferior and central corneal thinning and ectasia. Usually, it causes high myopia and irregular astigmatism resulting in a ...poor quality of vision. One of the most important ways of avoiding iatrogenic ectasia in cornea during refractive surgery is to detect KC in its earliest stage using the Pentacam. An important asymmetry decentration index is the inferior minus superior (IS) value.
Purpose
: Detection of Inferior minus Superior (IS) value and its Cut-off Value
Methods
: This is a cross-sectional, case control study that included 92 right eyes of 92 subjects, who presented to the outpatient clinic of “Al Watany Eye Hospitals” seeking refractive surgery or routine medical consultations. Our study focused on the measurement of the IS-value in early KC (TKC grade 1 and FFKC) and normal eyes. The right eye of each candidate was scanned 5 times in the same setting using the Pentacam. The study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki, and an approval was obtained from the ethical committee of Ain Shams University Hospitals.
Results
: We detected remarkably high statistically significant difference between patients and controls regarding the IS-value (p < 0.001). The mean (±SD) of control and cases group was 0.3 ± 0.2 and 1.4 ± 0.6, respectively. The cut-off point of 0.69 with high area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC). Coefficient of variation median (95% CI) for cases and controls were 1.4% (0.9 to 3.1%) and 6.2% (3 to 9.4%), respectively.
Conclusion
: The IS-value has a high repeatability and AUROC for differentiating early KC from normal corneas. It can be regarded as an accurate parameter for early KC detection.
Higher early-life animal protein intake is associated with a higher childhood obesity risk compared to plant protein intake. Differential DNA methylation may represent an underlying mechanism.
We ...analysed associations of infant animal and plant protein intakes with DNA methylation in early (2-6 years,
= 579) and late (7̄-12 years,
= 604) childhood in two studies. Study-specific robust linear regression models adjusted for relevant confounders were run, and then meta-analysed using a fixed-effects model. We also performed sex-stratified meta-analyses. Follow-up analyses included pathway analysis and eQTM look-up.
Infant animal protein intake was not associated with DNA methylation in early childhood, but was associated with late-childhood DNA methylation at cg21300373 (
= 4.27 × 10¯
,
) and cg10633363 (
= 1.09 × 10¯
,
) after FDR correction. Infant plant protein intake was associated with early-childhood DNA methylation at cg25973293 (
= 2.26 × 10
,
) and cg15407373 (
= 2.13 × 10
,
) after FDR correction. There was no overlap between the findings from the animal and plant protein analyses. We did not find enriched functional pathways at either time point using CpGs associated with animal and plant protein. These CpGs were not previously associated with childhood gene expression. Sex-stratified meta-analyses showed sex-specific DNA methylation associations for both animal and plant protein intake.
Infant animal protein intake was associated with DNA methylation at two CpGs in late childhood. Infant plant protein intake was associated with DNA methylation in early childhood at two CpGs. A potential mediating role of DNA methylation at these CpGs between infant protein intake and health outcomes requires further investigation.
Burned-out testicular tumor is a very rare clinical entity. There is no clinical finding in the testicle because it regresses spontaneously without any treatment and generally presents with ...metastases. Clinical examination of the testis and scrotal sonography are pivotal in the initial diagnosis of such neoplasms. We present a case of a 22-year-old male with hemoptysis, weight loss, and abdominal pain for the past 2 weeks and no palpable lesion on testicular examination. No relevant past medical history.
Concerns about smoking displacement from public places to private amenities aroused following smoking ban implementation in Bavaria in 2008. We analysed children's exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) ...before and after the ban, its effect on children's health and prevalence of active smoking in adults.
Six cross-sectional surveys (n = 32,443) on pre-school children in Bavaria were analysed, two surveys before the smoking ban in years 2004 and 2005 (S1 and S2) and four after the ban in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016 (S4, S6, S7 and S8). Using multivariable logistic regression, we analysed change in children's intra- and extrauterine SHS exposure and its adverse health effects (Asthma, wheezing, bronchitis and neurodermatitis) as well as change in parental active smoking.
The response rates were 78% for S1, 73% for S2, 61% for S4, 62% for S6, 56% for S7 and 54% for S8. Odds of parents never smoked at home in presence of children increased significantly from before to after the ban with odds ratios (OR) 1.17 (CI
1.01-1.35), 1.65 (CI
1.39-1.95), 2.85 (CI
2.32-3.51), 2.24 (CI
1.84-2.72) and 3.66 (CI
2.89-4.63) for S2, S4, S6, S7 and S8, respectively with S1 as reference. Compared to S4, odds of parents who were not actively smoking is significantly higher in S7 (OR = 1.13 (CI
1.03-1.24)) and S8 (OR = 1.24 (CI
1.13-1.36)). The odds of mothers who never smoked during pregnancy increased over time with OR = 1.22 (CI
1.06-1.40) for S2 and 1.57 (CI
1.33-1.86) for S8 compared to S1. Adverse health effects related to children's exposure to SHS are significantly less in S8 compared to S1.
After 11 years of smoking ban in Bavaria, smoking displacement to homes was disproved. Exposure of children to SHS intrauterine and at home is decreasing. Number of parents who are not actively smoking is increasing over time. Prevalence of health problems in children related to exposure to SHS is decreasing.
Aim
Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic autoimmune vasculitic disorder of unclear pathogenesis. CCN2/CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) is one of the CCN family members which carry out ...pro‐angiogenic biological functions and play an important role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess CCN2 plasma concentrations in BD patients and to analyze their association with clinical features of the disease, activity and laboratory parameters.
Methods
We included 87 BD patients and 60 healthy control subjects matched for age and gender. Demographic, clinical, disease activity and severity data were recorded. Plasma CCN2 concentrations were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.
Results
The plasma concentrations of CCN2 in BD patients were significantly elevated compared to healthy controls. The mean plasma CCN2 levels in patients with major organ involvement were significantly higher than those without. Patients who received steroids or cyclophosphamide showed a significant reduction in CCN2 levels. This was confirmed by the results of multivariate analysis. Patients with active ocular disease had a significant increase in CCN2 compared to the inactive group. On the other hand, CCN2 levels were not significantly correlated with overall disease activity and severity scores.
Conclusion
Behçet's disease patients showed a significant increase of CCN2 levels, especially in the group of patients with major organ involvement. A significant reduction of these levels was found in patients who received steroids or cyclophosphamide. Larger studies with further investigations of the precise role of CCN2 in BD pathogenesis might lead to novel therapies for the clinical management of this disease.
Background Differentiated thyroid cancers may be associated with regional lymph node (LN) metastases in 20-50% of cases. Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common thyroid malignancy, and cervical ...nodal metastases are frequent at presentation.
Objective This study aims to detect the therapeutic and prophylactic results of centeral neck dissection (CND) in an adjunct to total thyroidectomy for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer and its effect in reducing local recurrences and the need for postoperative radioiodine ablation.
Patients and methods This study was carried out on 30 patients with thyroid cancers. They were managed at Oncological Surgery Departments of Al-Azhar University between January 2017 and August 2018. This study included 30 patients, comprising 10 (33.3%) males and 20 (66.6%) females, and their ages ranged from 26-82 years old, with a mean age of 51 years. They all underwent total thyroidectomy and CND for differentiated thyroid cancer, which was proved preoperatively by fine-needle aspiration from thyroid swelling. Neck ultrasound and high-resolution neck computed tomographic scan with contrast were done to detect size and extension of thyroid cancer and any concerning LNs.
Results The analysis of nodal spreading in this study showed an ipsilateral central nodal metastasis on the same side of affected lobe and bilateral central LN metastasis when the tumor arose within each lobe or from isthmus, as the lesions from isthmus had wide diffusion. Moreover, this study showed tumors with size of 20 less than or equal to T2 less than 40 mm associated with the presence of LN metastases were subjected to postoperative 131I ablation, and also a size greater than or equal to 40 mm with vascular invasion or tumor extension beyond the thyroid capsule even not associated with the presence of LN metastases were subjected to postoperative 131I ablation.
Conclusion Prophylactic central compartment neck dissection (ipsilateral or bilateral) should be considered in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) with clinically noninvolved central neck LNs (cN0) who have locally advanced primary tumors (T3 or T4), and prophylactic ipsilateral CND and lateral neck dissection for DTC less than 2 cm in diameter allowed selection of patients for postoperative 131I ablation and modified the indication for 131I ablation in patients with pT1 tumors.
Aim of the work
The aim of this work was to study the prevalence and risk factors of liver biochemical abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate the cause ...of these abnormalities .
Patients and methods
A total of 200 SLE patients attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Cairo University, were subjected to full medical history, assessment of disease activity using SLE disease activity index, calculation of BMI, laboratory investigations including complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C3, C4, liver and kidney functions, lipid profile, antinuclear antibodies, and anti-dsDNA. Patients with alteration of liver functions had further laboratory tests including viral hepatitis markers, hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies, hepatitis B virus surface antigen and hepatitis A virus antibodies, PCR for patients who had HCV-positive tests, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) profile (antimitochondrial antibodies, antismooth muscle antibodies, and anti-liver–kidney microsomal antibodies), antiphospholipid profile (anticardiolipin, lupus anticoagulant, and B
2
glycoproteins), creatine phoshokinase (CPK), and abdominal ultrasound.
Results
The prevalence of liver biochemical abnormalities was 6.5% two patients (15.4%) had HCV-positive antibodies, two patients (15.4%) had probable AIH, five patients (38.5%) had fatty liver, four patients (30.8%) had drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and two patients (15.4%) had no cause other than SLE itself. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia were more frequent in patients with elevated liver enzymes.
Conclusion
The prevalence of elevated liver enzymes among SLE patients attending the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department during the time of the study was 6.5%. The most common liver abnormality was found to be fatty liver, affecting 38.5% of the patients, followed by drug-induced hepatotoxicity (30.8%), and then HCV infection, AIH, and SLE (each 15.4%).
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