Severe Acute Hepatitis in a COVID‐19 patient: A Case Report

Liver enzymes abnormalities are one of the reported presentations of coronavirus infection mostly in hospitalized patients. It is important that physicians take all the possible causes of acute hepatitis in consideration when dealing with abnormal liver enzymes in a patient with COVID‐19 infection to reduce the risk of overlooking the underlying disease. Hereby, we reported case of a 39‐year‐Old man who presented with severe acute hepatitis and was infected with COVID‐19, hepatitis A and herpes simplex virus simultaneously.     

Exaggerated vasopressin secretion and attenuated osmoregulated thirst in human survivors of hyperosmolar coma

Aims/hypothesis. To test the hypothesis that subnormal thirst sensation could contribute to the development of the hypernatraemia characteristic of hyperosmolar coma, we studied osmoregulation in survivors of hyperosmolar coma. Methods. Eight survivors of hyperosmolar coma, eight control subjects with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and eight healthy control subjects underwent water deprivation during which measurements of thirst, plasma osmolality and vasopressin were taken. Results. Water deprivation caused greater peak plasma osmolality in the hyperosmolar coma group (301.7 ± 2.7 mmol/kg) than in Type II diabetic (294.3 ± 3.2 mmol/kg, p < 0.01) or control group (296.9 ± 3.0 mmol/kg, p < 0.01) and a greater increase in plasma vasopressin concentration (hyperosmolar coma, 5.8 ± 1.3 pmol/l, Type II diabetes, 1.8 ± 1.3 pmol/l, p < 0.001, control subjects, 2.2 ± 1.8 pmol/l, p < 0.001). Thirst ratings were lower following water deprivation in the hyperosmolar coma group (3.5 ± 0.8 cm) than in Type II diabetes (7.7 ± 1.6 cm, p < 0.001) or control subjects (7.4 ± 1.3 cm, p < 0.001), and the hyperosmolar group patients drank less in 30 min following water deprivation (401 ± 105 ml) than Type II diabetic (856 ± 218 ml, p < 0.001) or control subjects (789 ± 213 ml, p < 0.001). Conclusion/interpretation. Survivors of hyperosmolar coma have subnormal osmoregulated thirst and fluid intake, which might contribute to the hypernatraemic dehydration typical of the condition. [Diabetologia (1999) 42: 534–538] Received: 22 October 1998 and in final revised form: 10 December 1998     

Green sonochemical synthesis of BaDy2NiO5/Dy2O3 and BaDy2NiO5/NiO nanocomposites in the presence of core almond as a capping agent and their application as photocatalysts for the removal of organic dyes in water

The present work reports the sonochemical synthesis of DBNO NC (dysprosium nickelate nanocomposite) using metal nitrates and core almond as a capping agent. In addition, the effects of the power of ultrasound irradiation were investigated. The BaDy₂NiO₅/Dy₂O₃ and BaDy₂NiO₅/NiO nanocomposites were synthesized with sonication powers of 50 and 30 W, respectively. The agglomerated nanoparticles were obtained using different sonication powers, including 15, 30, and 50 W. The results showed that upon increasing the sonication power, the particle size decreased. After characterization, the optical, electrical, magnetic, and photocatalytic properties of the NC were studied. The nanocomposites showed an antiferromagnetic behavior. In this study, the photocatalytic degradations of two dyes, AR14 and AB92, were investigated in the presence of DBNO NC. Furthermore, the effects of the amount of photocatalyst, the concentration of the dye solution, the type of organic dye, and light irradiation on the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite were studied. The results showed that with an increasing amount of catalyst and decreasing concentration of dye, the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite was increased. This activity for the degradation of AR14 is higher than that of AB92. Both AR14 and AB92 dyes show higher photocatalytic degradation under UV irradiation than under Vis irradiation.

The sonochemical synthesis of Dy₂BaNiO₅ nanocomposites is reported, for the first time. The metal nitrates and core almond are used as precursors and capping agent, respectively. Effect of sonication power is investigated in this work.     

The prevalence of asthma and related symptoms in Middle East countries

Objectives

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by reversible airway constriction and airway hyperresponsiveness. Asthma is a worldwide problem and its prevalence varies among different parts of the world. There are insufficient data about the prevalence and risk factors of this disease in Middle East countries.

Data source

The objective of this review article was to determine the prevalence of asthma in Middle East countries by searching EMBASE, Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar for articles about asthma prevalence in children and adults in this region.

Study selection

The prevalence of asthma in different countries and different cities of each country in the Middle East was reviewed in children and adults of both sexes. The possible risk factors for asthma in different areas were also reviewed from 1985 to 2012.

Results

The highest asthma prevalence in children and adults was 35.4% in Tehran, Iran by ISAAC phase I and 15% in Kuwait by self‐designed questionnaire and the lowest prevalence was 1% in Kermanshah, Iran by ISAAC and 2% in Tehran, Iran by ECRHS questionnaire, respectively. Most studies showed that the prevalence of this common disease declines with increasing age.

Conclusion

The data showed that the prevalence of asthma varies among different countries and even among different cities of the same country. The common risk factors for this disease were genetic predisposition, cigarette smoking, family history of asthma and allergic diseases.     

Neuroprotective effects of the 17β-estradiol against ethanol-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in the developing male rat cerebellum: biochemical, histological and behavioral changes

During particular periods of central nervous system (CNS) development, exposure to ethanol can decrease regional brain growth and can result in selective loss of neurons. Unfortunately, there are few effective means of attenuating damage in the immature brain. In this study, the possible antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of 17β-estradiol against ethanol-induced neurotoxicity was investigated. 17β-estradiol (600 μg/kg) was injected subcutaneously in postnatal day (PD) 4 and 5, 30 min prior to intraperitoneal injection of ethanol (6 g/kg) in rat pups. Ninety minutes after injection of ethanol, the activities of several antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) in vermis of cerebellum were assayed. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels were also measured as a marker of lipid peroxidation. Behavioral studies, including rotarod and locomotor activity tests were performed in PD 21-23 and histological study was performed after completion of behavioral measurements in postnatal day 23. The results of the present work demonstrated that ethanol could induce lipid peroxidation, increase TBARS levels and decrease glutathione peroxidase levels in pup cerebellum. We also observed that ethanol impaired performance on the rotarod and locomotor activities of rat pups. However, treatment with 17β-estradiol significantly attenuated motoric impairment, the lipid peroxidation process and restored the levels of antioxidants. Histological analysis also indicated that ethanol could decrease vermis Purkinje cell count and 17β-estradiol prevented this toxic effect. These results suggest that ethanol may induce lipid peroxidation in the rat pups cerebellum while treatment with 17β-estradiol improves motor deficits by protecting the cerebellum against ethanol toxicity.     

Self-folding micropatterned polymeric containers

We demonstrate self-folding of precisely patterned, optically transparent, all-polymeric containers and describe their utility in mammalian cell and microorganism encapsulation and culture. The polyhedral containers, with SU-8 faces and biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) hinges, spontaneously assembled on heating. Self-folding was driven by a minimization of surface area of the liquefying PCL hinges within lithographically patterned two-dimensional (2D) templates. The strategy allowed for the fabrication of containers with variable polyhedral shapes, sizes and precisely defined porosities in all three dimensions. We provide proof-of-concept for the use of these polymeric containers as encapsulants for beads, chemicals, mammalian cells and bacteria. We also compare accelerated hinge degradation rates in alkaline solutions of varying pH. These optically transparent containers resemble three-dimensional (3D) micro-Petri dishes and can be utilized to sustain, monitor and deliver living biological components.     

Interaction of HLA-DRB1*1501 allele and TNF-alpha -308 G/A single nucleotide polymorphism in the susceptibility to multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a multifactorial disorder with complex genetic basis. It is believed that genes encoding HLA molecule and cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of MS. In this study, we have evaluated the impact of HLA-DRB1*1501 allele and TNF-alpha -308 G/A single nucleotide polymorphism, and their interaction, in the susceptibility to MS in Iranian population. Genomic DNA samples were prepared from whole blood of 366 MS Patients and 414 control subjects. The genotypes were determined by SSP-PCR method. Frequency of alleles and genotypes were compared between the two groups by using Fisher's exact test. HLA-DRB1*1501 allele was more frequent among patients (OR=1.57, P=0.0026). TNF-α -308 G allele and G/G genotype had higher frequency among MS patients than control subjects (G vs. A: OR=1.26, P<0.05); G/G vs. A/A: OR=4.59, P=0.0003). The odds ratio was higher among HLA-DRB1*1501 positive individuals. Co-existence of TNF G and HLA-DRB1*1501 alleles showed higher prevalence among MS patients (OR=7.07, P=0.0007). Our results have shown that HLA-DRB1*1501 allele and TNF-α -308 G/A polymorphism are associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis in Iranian population. We also observed an interaction between these two loci that support the role of HLA alleles and cytokine genes and gene-gene interaction in the development and pathogenesis of MS.     

Inflammatory Profile,Age of Onset,and the MTHFR Polymorphism in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Both genetic and inflammatory factors are suspected in the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Of genetic factors, the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism has been associated with increased levels of plasma homocysteine, a neuronal excitotoxic amino acid. Sclerotic patients also have elevated levels of plasma and CSF homocysteine. In this study, the association between C677T polymorphism and MS was tested by recruiting 230 healthy and 194 multiple sclerotic age- and gender-matched patients. The MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the serum levels of inflammatory mediators IL-1β, TNFα, and CRP were measured. TNFα, CRP, and IL-1β levels were significantly higher in sclerotic patients. T allele was 1.7 times more present in this group. In patient’s group, the levels of all inflammatory mediators were higher in T/T compared to two other genotypes. Evaluation of the age of onset of disease revealed that subjects with T allele developed the MS disease, almost 4 years sooner than other genotype. We concluded that having T allele of C677T in MS might be accompanied with higher levels of serum inflammatory mediators and a vulnerability to earlier age of onset of disease. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.