Biochemistry
Ahmad Raesi; Ebrahim Saedi Dezaki; Hamideh Moosapour; Farzaneh Saeidifard; Zahra Habibi; Fereidoun Rahmani; Soleiman Kheiri; Elham Taheri
Abstract
Background & Objective: Previous studies have addressed the electrolyte abnormalitiessuch as hypocalcemiain COVID-19 patients. We aimed to compare the laboratory findings especially the electrolyte levels amongCOVID-19 patients and healthy controls and evaluate their prognostic values. Materials ...
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Background & Objective: Previous studies have addressed the electrolyte abnormalitiessuch as hypocalcemiain COVID-19 patients. We aimed to compare the laboratory findings especially the electrolyte levels amongCOVID-19 patients and healthy controls and evaluate their prognostic values. Materials and Methods: This case-control study included 91 COVID-19 patients and 169 healthy individuals. Their laboratory parameters including electrolytes, albumin, liver enzymes, complete blood count, vitamin D, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were compared. We also analyzed the association between these markers and the major outcomes including severity, mortality and hospitalization. Results: Among patients with COVID-19, 59.3% of the patients had hypocalcemia on admission while in control group only 32.5% had low calcium level (OR=3.02, 95% CI: 1.79-5.13, p <0.001). The rates of death and ICU admission were significantly higher among the patients in hypocalcemic group than those of eucalcemic group (85.7% vs 14.3% and 33.3% Vs 9.1%, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the mean PTH and vitamin D levels between the two groups. In terms of the severity of the infection, 74.1% of patients in hypocalcemic group had a severe infection while 24.3% of the patients in eucalcemic group were diagnosed with severe infection (OR=8.89, 95% CI: 3.38-23.37, p <0.001). Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19 had considerable laboratory abnormalities including hypocalcemia. The hypocalcemia was also associated with worse major clinical outcomes and higher mortality risk.
Pediatric Pathology
Sahar Shahriarpanah; Fatemeh Haji Ebrahim Tehrani; Ali Davati; Iman Ansari
Volume 13, Issue 3 , July 2018, , Pages 357-362
Abstract
Background and Objective: Phototherapy is one of the therapy methods for jaundice caused by hyperbilirubinemia. Vitamin D and bilirubin have two distinct routes of metabolism yet part of their syntheses is common in the liver and thus they may influence each other’s synthesis. One of the consequences ...
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Background and Objective: Phototherapy is one of the therapy methods for jaundice caused by hyperbilirubinemia. Vitamin D and bilirubin have two distinct routes of metabolism yet part of their syntheses is common in the liver and thus they may influence each other’s synthesis. One of the consequences of phototherapy not previously studied in detail is hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia. The current study aimed at investigating the effect of phototherapy on serum level of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.Methods: The current semi-experimental investigation was conducted on 50 term infants with jaundice that had phototherapy indication. Bilirubin, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D were measured in their blood samples at admission and then 48 hours after beginning the phototherapy. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16 using paired-samples t test. Results and Discussion: The serum calcium was 9.85 mg/dL before phototherapy and significantly decreased after it (9.51 mg/dL) (P<0.001). Also, the mean serum magnesium was 2.21 mg/dL before phototherapy and significantly decreased after it (2.06 mg/dL) (P=0.047). The mean of serum vitamin D significantly increased after phototherapy (before 17.44 mg/dL and after 21.77 mg/dL) (P<0.0001). The current study showed that phototherapy could decrease the level of calcium and magnesium and increase the level of vitamin D.
Ali Zare-Mirzaie; Behrang Kazeminezhad; Mona Akbari Ghouchani
Abstract
Background& Objective: Increase in intra- and extracellular glucose levels can cause oxidative stress, and the prolonged imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidantscan lead to cell damage and the associated complications in patients with diabetes. Vitamin D acts as a strong antioxidant in ...
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Background& Objective: Increase in intra- and extracellular glucose levels can cause oxidative stress, and the prolonged imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidantscan lead to cell damage and the associated complications in patients with diabetes. Vitamin D acts as a strong antioxidant in the body and several studies emphasized on its important role to prevent oxidative stress in prediabetic and diabetic subjects. The current study aimed at determining and comparing the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in individuals with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) below and above 6.5%, and its correlation with vitamin D levels. Methods: The current cross sectional study was conducted on a total of 107 patients with diabetes (HbA1c >6.5%) and 107 non-diabetic subjects (HbA1c <6.5%) referred to Rassool Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran from 2015 to 2016, as the sample population. The two groups were compared regarding their TAC and vitamin D serum levels and the association between vitamin D concentration and TAC was evaluated. Results: Age and body mass index (BMI)were significantly higher in patients with diabetes, compared with the serum levels of vitamin D and TAC (P P=0.003). In multivariate regression model, the duration of diabetes was also significantly associated with TAC level (beta coefficient=-0.82, P <0.001). Conclusion: The low serum levels of TAC and vitamin D in patients with diabetes could be indicative of oxidative stress in the presence of high blood glucose levels. Supplementation of vitamin D in patients with diabetes might be effective to control the negative impacts of the disease and decrease cells’ exposure to oxidative environment in prediabetes.
Rayhaneh Ahangar-Parvin; Marzieyeh Mohammadi-Kordkhayli; Sayyed Vahab Azizi; Maryam Nemati; Hossian Khorramdel-Azad; Zahra Taghipour; Zuhair Hassan; Seyed Mohammad Moazzeni; Abdollah Jafarzadeh
Abstract
Background & objective The immunoregulatory effects of transforming growth factor (TGF)-βand interleukin-12 (IL-12) and immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D (VD) were reported in several studies. This study aims to evaluate VD effects on IL-12 and TGF-β expression in experimental autoimmune ...
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Background & objective The immunoregulatory effects of transforming growth factor (TGF)-βand interleukin-12 (IL-12) and immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D (VD) were reported in several studies. This study aims to evaluate VD effects on IL-12 and TGF-β expression in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods: EAE was induced in three groups of C57BL/6 mice by immunization with MOG and administered intra-peritoneally 200 ngVD, PBS or olive oil (OO) from day +3 to +30. One group was also considered as healthy control group. At day 31, cytokines expression in the spinal cord and their serum levels were determined using real time-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Results: IL-12 gene expression and its serum levels in PBS-injected- or OO-administrated EAE groups were significantly higher than healthy group. IL-12 gene expression in EAE group treated with VD was significantly decreased compared to PBS-injected- or OO-administrated EAE groups (P Conclusion: VD modulates the expression of IL-12 and TGF-β in spinal cord and serum of EAE mice.
