Journal of Research in Applied and Basic Medical Sciences
Volume:9 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of plasma cells that is associated with high morbidity rate. Inflammation is a common feature in malignancy and plays a pivotal role in the cancer pathogenesis. Interleukin-10 is a cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was evaluation the importance of interleukin-10 and its receptor in multiple myeloma in order to find their pathogenic roles and diagnostic value.

In this case-control study, 30 multiple myeloma patients and 40 healthy subjects were enrolled. Serum IL-10 and IL-10R1 levels were determined using ELISA method. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software version 23 including descriptive analysis, mean compression and correlation tests.

The mean IL-10 levels were 50.93± 8.76 and 52.56 ± 10.47 pg/ml in control and patient groups, respectively. The serum IL-10R levels of multiple myeloma patients were significantly lower than healthy control (p=0.041) where mean serum levels were
2.51 ± 0.86 and 2.1± 0.76 pg/ml, respectively. We found a positive correlation between IL-10 and IL-10R levels (p = 0.042).

These results demonstrated that IL-10R but not IL-10 is increased in the patient's serum and they are proposed as a new diagnostic biomarker. In other words, downregulation of IL-10 receptor and attenuation of IL-10 bio-effect are associated with further inflammation in multiple myeloma type I patients.

 Because of waxing and waning nature of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it has turned the entire globe upside down since its conception in December 2019. Vaccination against COVID-19 has emerged as the only ray of light in this dark tunnel of the pandemic, and has proven to curtail the morbidity and mortality associated with the viral infection. Thus, aspiration behind doing this study was to present the actual conformity of Indian cancer center patient population to COVID-19 vaccination.

The current prospective research was conducted on 396 cancer patients from North Indian Tertiary Cancer Center (TCC) between October 2021-February 2022 to analyze vaccine acceptance among its cancer patients. Face-to-face interviews were done to ask about the demographics and status of vaccination. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.25. Quantitative data presented as mean and standard deviation (SD). Qualitative data presented as ratios and percentages. Qualitative data were compared using Chi-square test. p<0.05 was considered significant.

Among 396 patients, 221 (55.80%) were male and 175 (44.19%) were female, and mean age of study population was 55.96 years. 292 (73.74%) were from rural background while 104 (26.26%) belonged to urban background. Most common site of malignancy was head and neck cancer with 40.66% patients. 245 (61.36%) out of 396 patients were vaccinated either with single or both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, but 153 (38.64%) were not vaccinated. Out of vaccinated patients, 70.37% patients were fully vaccinated with 2 doses and 29.63% were vaccinated with single dose of COVID-19 vaccination.

Hesitancy of cancer patients in receiving COVID-19 vaccination is still a big hurdle to return to pre-pandemic oncological care, and this can be mitigated by amalgamated active efforts of government, treating oncologist and family of cancer patients.

 Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) occurs due to insulin resistance causing improper glucose metabolism and hyperglycemic milieu producing micro and macro vascular complications. Regarding prevalence of diabetes, Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd highest in Middle East countries and 7th in the world. There could be several factors affecting the glycemic control in diabetes. We investigated the role of duration of diabetes in glycemic control and lipid profile of diabetics.

 This cross-sectional study recruited 267 T2DM patients presenting at a Primary Health Care center located in Al-Mansak area of Abha city of Saudi Arabia. Based upon the duration of diabetes patients were divided into group 1 (N = 88, diabetes duration ≤ 5 years), group 2 (N = 84, diabetes duration 5-10 years), and group 3 (N = 95, diabetes duration ≥ 15 years). Patient’s’ demographic data, glycemic control indicators like fasting blood glucose (FBS), random blood glucose (RBS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and lipid profile were recorded. Data was statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 20.

 ANOVA showed that there were statistically significant differences in age, FBS, HbA1c, total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) across the three groups. The association for the male gender was also significant. Duration of diabetes had a significant positive correlation with age, FBS, LDL-C, and triglyceride.

 Long duration of diabetes is associated with poor glycemic control and dyslipidemia. Diabetics especially those with long duration must be regularly followed up and monitored for glycemic control and lipid profile to prevent complications in the future.

 Saccharin is approximately 300 times sweeter than sucrose, and since its discovery, there has been several controversies regarding its potential toxicity as chronic saccharin consumption negatively influences biochemical parameters. Subsequently, Solanum aethiopicum is a good source of bioactive compounds that can be used to treat a variety of ailments including nervous, respiratory, visual, renal, circulatory and fertility issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ethanolic fruit extract of Solanum Aethiopicum (L.) on saccharin induced hyperlipidemia and sperm abnormalities in male Wistar rats.

 In this experimental study, 16 Wistar rats were divided into four groups (Groups 1 to 4) comprising of four Wistar Rats per group. Group 1 (control) was given distilled water and feed only, group 2 was administered saccharin (10 mg), group 3 were administered saccharin (10 mg) and 50 mg of extract, while group 4 was administered saccharin (10 mg) and 100 mg of extract. The extract was administered for 21 days, then the rats were sacrificed and blood sample was collected through cardiac puncture for Lipid profile test. Also, semen analysis was conducted to assess sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology. The results were expressed as mean ± SEM. The differences between the four groups were determined using one-way analysis of variance, and results were considered to be significant at p ≤ 0.05.

 The results showed that saccharin adversely affected lipid profile and sperm parameters in Wistar Rats. Also, ethanolic fruit extract of Solanum aethiopicum caused a significant dose-dependent increase of lipid profile and sperm parameters in Wistar Rats administered saccharin.

 Solanum aethiopicum is beneficial for treatment of sperm abnormalities and hyperlipidemia. It is recommended that the fruit be utilized as a less expensive alternative in clinical therapies for treating sperm abnormalities and hyperlipidemia.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of herpesvirus family with high prevalence in the normal population, which can lead to life-threatening latent infection. This virus has potential oncogenicity and can be reactivated in terms of immune suppression. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of CMV in the patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

To determine CMV prevalence, serum samples were collected from CLL patients after establishment of diagnosis by oncologist in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia, Iran as well as from age-matched healthy subjects as control group. A total of 65 study participants, 33 males and 32 females, were included in this study in two groups, study group (n=31) and control group (n=34). All serum samples were tested for CMV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16.0. Student's t-test and Chi-square test were used for comparison of variables and between the categorical variables, respectively. The statistical significance considered as P < 0.05.

 The prevalence of CMV infection in all participants was 84.6%. The prevalence of CMV current infection (IgM positive) and previous infection (IgG positive only) were respectively 29.03% and 70.97% in the patient group and 97.05% and 2.95% in the control group.   

 Based on our results, previous exposure to CMV was significantly higher in the CLL patients compared with the control group. Good treatment and care strategies for the CLL patients can play an important role in preventing the reactivation of latent viral infections. Further studies and longtime monitoring should be done to know the factors affecting the reactivation of latent CMV infection and other latent viral infections in the CLL patients.

The unusual manifestations of brucellosis as an endemic disease involving multiple organ systems include headache, confusion, acute abdomen, psoas abscess, endocarditis, perinephric mass, insulin resistance, and cauda-equina syndrome. In this paper we report a patient with such situations that was initially diagnosed and treated for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) with partial improvement of symptoms after Ribavirin therapy and readmission for brucellosis and improvement of symptoms after combination therapy for the later diagnosis. A 31-year-old male patient was attended with intermittent fever and chill plus myalgia, melena, and hematuria since one week ago. He had also generalized abdominal pain and loss of appetite with a body mass index of 19 kg/m². He had a history of ten neonatal deaths of livestock in the last month. In laboratory tests, the liver enzymes were raised and pancytopenia was present. Patient received therapeutic dose of Ribavirin plus Apotel and the general status were improved. After one month, the patient was readmitted for fever plus right hip and knee pain, and the brucella IgG was in borderline level (10.36). He received treatment for brucellosis including Amikacin, Doxycycline, and Rifampin. The Wright and Coomb's Wright tests were positive. The general health was improved and the patient was discharged with administration of Doxycycline 100 mg twice a day and Rifampin 600 mg once a day. Totally, according to the reported case, it should be emphasized that Ribavirin is effective in the treatment of brucellosis.

 Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD)/stillbirth accounts for a significant portion of perinatal mortality and is thus a good indicator of healthcare system quality. Autopsy is a well-known specialized surgical procedure used to determine the cause of death. The study's goal is to learn the cause of death, the prevalence of congenital anomalies, and to confirm the diagnosis histopathologically.

 The study included 32 cases of all terminated pregnancies from 12 to 38 weeks due to abnormal prenatal findings and IUFDs received for autopsy in the department of pathology over a four-year period from 2018 to 2022. Autopsies were carried out in accordance with standard protocol, and included external and internal examinations with photography, as well as gross and microscopic examinations of various organs and the placenta.

 Over a four-year period, Abnormalities detected via autopsy are 32 (80%) out of 40 cases, whereas ultrasound findings detected about 11(27.5%) out of 40 cases. Thus, autopsy added to the diagnosis about 47.5%. External anomalies noted in 9 cases and internal anomalies noted in 14 cases. Gestational age of fetuses in intrauterine deaths in our study is early deaths (55%). The most common cause of death was fetal causes (37.5%), followed by placental causes (35%) and two amniotic fluid causes (5%). In congenital causes central nervous system anomalies [(6 cases) which include Arnold Chiari malformation (2 cases), Potter syndrome (1 case), hydrocephalus (3 cases)] were the most common followed by cardiovascular system malformations [(4 cases) which include VSD (2 cases), dextrocardia (1 case), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (1)]. Placental lesions were present in 14 (27.5%) of the cases.

 The most common cause of death was congenital anomalies. Though the number of perinatal autopsies has decreased in recent years, fetal autopsies continue to play an important role in determining the cause of disease. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosis, giving parents hope for the future.

COPD and metabolic syndrome are highly prevalent and contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Limited evidence suggests a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in COPD patients, indicating a potential link between metabolic syndrome and impaired lung function. We aimed to study the correlation between COPD severity and metabolic syndrome components, and between CRP and COPD severity.

This cross-sectional observational study involved 100 COPD outpatients. Metabolic syndrome parameters were assessed using NCEP criteria. Patients were categorized per GOLD classification using MMRC grading and spirometry. We compared blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and waist circumference across GOLD stages, and clinical, metabolic, and spirometry parameters between those with and without metabolic syndrome. Analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 9 and SPSS 26.0.

48% of COPD patients had metabolic syndrome. SBP, blood glucose and triglycerides were significantly higher in severe COPD compared to stages I and II. Among metabolic parameters, blood glucose and SBP were significant negative predictors of FEV1/FVC adjusted for age, smoking and BMI. CRP level, diabetes, hypertension, and abdominal adiposity were associated with airflow limitation severity. FEV1/FVC was significantly lower in extreme BMI groups. Those with metabolic syndrome had higher MMRC grade, exacerbation rate, and CRP, but lower FEV1/FVC and smoking history than those without.

This study emphasizes assessing and managing metabolic syndrome in COPD patients, and suggests links between inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and impaired lung function.

 Breathing exercises after surgery are crucial in avoiding respiratory complications. These exercises have proven highly effective in improving the recovery quality of post-operative patients. Despite their widespread use in patient care, there is a lack of scientific evidence to prove their effectiveness. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate the influence of deep breathing exercises on the quality of postoperative recovery in the patients who have undergone emergency surgery.

 A randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficiency of deep breathing exercises in post-operative patients who had emergency surgery. The study included 200 participants who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with 100 assigned to the experimental group as Group-A and 100 to the control group as Group-B. The patients in the experimental group were taught and practiced deep breathing exercises, while those in the control group received standard treatment. Data were gathered and analysed to compare the SpO2 level, FVC, FEV1, PEFR, FMEF 25/75%, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and quality of recovery between the two groups. SPSS v.21 was used for the appropriate statistical analysis to check statistical differences between the proportions, and p˂0.05 considered statistically significant.

 The FEV1, FVC, and PFER (25-75%) reduced and did not differ significantly between the two groups, whereas SpO2 level at the 5th day and hospital stay were significantly different in Group-B. Patient with deep breathing exercise (Group-B) did not develop any respiratory complication and had a higher postoperative quality of recovery as compared to Group-A.

 We found that that incorporating deep breathing exercises after surgery can also increase lung capacity, prevent post-operative complications, shorten recovery time, and enhance overall quality of life.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a common health problem in the world, and various studies have shown that the risk of developing the disease increases with age. In this study, we looked at the effects of 8 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and curcumin use alone and in combination with each other on leptin and hepatic enzymes levels.

32 male Wistar rats (24-month-old), and 8 male rats with the same breed (4-month-old) were examined in 5 groups (8 rats per group). Two groups were young and old control groups, and three groups included exercise group, curcumin group, and curcumin + exercise group. SPSS18 software and one-way ANOVA method and Tukey's post hoc test were utilized and 0.05> α was considered statistically significant.

8 weeks of aerobic exercise did not have a significant reduction in the level of leptin and hepatic enzymes, and 8 weeks of curcumin significantly reduced leptin levels and did not significantly reduce hepatic enzymes. Combined aerobic exercise and curcumin significantly reduced leptin and hepatic enzymes.

Concomitant use of curcumin with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can have positive effects on reducing leptin levels and hepatic enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

 The liver plays an important role in the regulation of glucose concentration and metabolism. Diabetic patients develop abnormalities in liver enzymes affecting the liver and its function. A recent study shows the association between liver enzymes and diabetes mellitus (DM) which leads to diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy if left untreated. The aim of the present study was to determine the impairment of liver enzymes in the patients with diabetic individuals compared to non-diabetic individuals.

 This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out at the Star Hospital, Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal, from June 2021 to August 2021. A total of 260 participants were included in this study, out of which, 135 were known diabetic cases and 125 were nondiabetic control. Fasting plasma glucose was analyzed with semi-automated analyzer STAT Fax 3300 by GOP-POD method and liver enzymes were analyzed by IFCC method. An Independent T-test was applied. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 16.0.

 The prevalence of elevated liver enzymes was significantly higher in diabetic individuals compared to nondiabetic ones. ALT, AST, and ALP were raised by 28.8%, 23.7%, and 48.8%, respectively among the patients with DM. significant increases in AST and ALT was observed in men compared to women, but changes in ALP level was insignificant when compared by gender. A significant elevation of AST and ALP was seen in diabetic patients compared to controls (P<0.05).

 Positive correlation was found between fasting sugar, ALT, AST, and ALP. Similarly, a positive correlation was found between HbA1C and liver enzymes (AST< ALT and ALP).

Hansen’s disease, Leprosy, is a chronic granulomatous infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, principally affecting the skin and peripheral nerves. Histopathological examination plays an important role in early diagnosis and management. The aim of this study was to study the correlation of histomorphological findings with the bacteriological index in different types of leprosy, and to inspect the histopathological spectrum of leprosy.

The retrospective study was carried out on the skin punch biopsies from 121 cases of leprosy taken in the Department of Dermatology at a tertiary care center and reported in the histopathology section of the Department of Pathology between January 2022 to December 2022. Hematoxylin-Eosin and Fite-Faraco-Stained sections were evaluated for features confirming leprosy and further categorized as per Ridley-Jopling system.

Among total 121 skin biopsies examined histopathologically, the most common type seen was Borderline Tuberculoid (BT) Leprosy (32.23%), followed by Lepromatous Leprosy (LL) (20.66%), Borderline Lepromatous (BL) Leprosy (16.52%), Histoid Leprosy (HL) (12.39%), Tuberculoid Leprosy (TL) (9.91%), Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) (6.61%), and Neuritic (NL) and mid borderline leprosy diagnosed each 1 case (0.82%). Fite-Faraco staining to identify acid-fast bacilli (AFB) was done in all 121 cases, which was positive in 64 (52.8%) of the cases. No bacilli were noted in all cases of TT leprosy, whereas all cases of Histoid types showed the presence of acid-fast bacilli. The correlation of histopathological diagnosis and bacteriological index was seen in 52.8% of the cases. The highest correlation was seen in Histoid Hansen’s disease (100%), LL (80%), ENL (75%), BL (70%) followed by BT (23%), TT (0%), Neuritic Leprosy (0%), and BB (0%).

The correlation between clinical manifestations, histopathological, and bacteriological features were required for diagnosis and classification of leprosy. Nerve damage is irreversible, therefore, early detection and treatment is important to prevent disabilities.