Increased serum level of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy

Activation of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been implicated in the development of diabetic vascular complications. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) could act as a decoy for the RAGE ligands and may thus exert a cytoprotective effect. Since RAGE is upregulated by advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the same could be implied for sRAGE. We aimed to investigate the role of sRAGE as a marker of early diabetic nephropathy. Forty-eight type 2 diabetic patients, further subdivided into group 1 without renal affection (10 patients), group 2 with microalbuminuria (25 patients), and group 3 with proteinuria (13 patients), and age-matched control group 4 (17 subjects) were included. Serum sRAGE, urea, creatinine, plasma glycated hemoglobin (HBA1c), and urinary albumin excretion (albumin/creatinine ratio) were measured. sRAGE levels were significantly higher in groups 2 and 3when compared to groups 1 and 4. No significant difference was found on comparing groups 2 and 3 together or on comparing groups 1 and 4. There was a significant positive correlation between sRAGE level and all the studied parameters (p?<?0.05) as well as a significant association between the sRAGE positivity within the three diabetic groups and the degree of proteinuria. Although sRAGE level was found to be significantly higher in the microalbuminuria group when compared to both the control and diabetics with normal kidney groups, the absolute value did not differ significantly from the proteinuria group. So we say that sRAGE can be used as a marker of diabetic nephropathy; however, its absolute level cannot be used to distinguish different degrees of renal affection.     

Differences in outcomes between cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol supplementation in veterans with inflammatory bowel disease

Aim: Vitamin D deficiency is a global health issue associated with increased health‐care costs, and could play a role in the pathogenesis and management of inflammatory bowel disease. Prior studies show a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in veterans with inflammatory bowel disease. We aimed to examine the outcome differences in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, comparing treatment with ergocalciferol to cholecalciferol. Methods: A retrospective review of electronic medical records of patients with inflammatory bowel disease at a Veterans Affairs Medical Facility in the Southeastern United States was carried out. Those with at least one serum 25(OH) vitamin D level were included. Initial and follow‐up vitamin D values were recorded. The type of vitamin D supplementation, whether cholecalciferol or ergocalciferol, was documented. Costs in the year after measurement of vitamin D were divided into separate inpatient and outpatient categories. Results: Veterans (n = 108) with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease and an available 25(OH) vitamin D level were studied. There were differences in follow‐up vitamin D levels; those who received weekly ergocalciferol had higher subsequent levels than those who received cholecalciferol, especially at a second follow up, although differences did not achieve statistical significance. However, those who received vitamin D3 were less likely to use laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and fee‐based services, and had lower laboratory and pharmacy costs. Conclusions: Our data suggest that cholecalciferol replacement might improve outcomes to a greater extent than ergocalciferol, and might be better in limiting health‐care costs and expenses in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; 12: 475–480.     

Central projections of lagenar primary neurons in the chick

Perception of linear acceleration and head position is the function of the utricle and saccule in mammals. Nonmammalian vertebrates possess a third otolith endorgan, the macula lagena. Different functions have been ascribed to the lagena in arboreal birds, including hearing, equilibrium, homing behavior, and magnetoreception. However, no conclusive evidence on the function of the lagena in birds is currently available. The present study is aimed at providing a neuroanatomical substrate for the function of the lagena in the chicken as an example of terrestrial birds. The afferents from the lagena of chick embryos (E19) to the brainstem and cerebellum were investigated by the sensitive lipophilic tracer Neuro Vue Red in postfixed ears. The results revealed that all the main vestibular nuclei, including the tangential nucleus, received lagenar projections. No lagenar terminals were found in auditory centers, including the cochlear nuclei. In the cerebellum, the labeled terminals were found variably in all of the cerebellar nuclei. In the cerebellar cortex, the labeled fibers were found mostly in the uvula, with fewer afferents in the flocculus and paraflocculus. None was seen in the nodulus. The absence of lagenar afferent projections in auditory nuclei and the presence of a projection pattern in the vestibular nuclei and cerebellum similar to that of the utricle and saccule suggest that the primary role of the lagena in the chick lies in the processing of vestibular information related to linear acceleration and static head position. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:3524‐3540, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis during the COVID-19 third wave in 2021: an Egyptian preliminary report from a single tertiary hospital

Neurological Sciences - COVID-19 is a pandemic disease which predominantly affects the respiratory system with high critical care mortality and morbidity; however, it also causes multi-organ...