| 1 | Vitamin D status and viral response to therapy in hepatitis C infected children显示文摘AIM: To study the frequency of vitamin D deficiency in patients with hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection and to evaluate the role of vitamin D supplementation in improving antiviral therapy.METHODS: Sixty-six children aged from 7-14 years(mean ± SD, 11.17 ± 2.293) diagnosed with HCV infection were matched to 28 healthy controls. Serum levels of 25(OH) D3, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and plasma level of parathormone were measured. Quantitative PCR for HCV was performed Bone density was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. All cases received conventional therapy, and only 33 patients received vitamin D supplementation.RESULTS: Children with HCV showed significantly increased levels of HCV RNA(P < 0.001), parathormone(P < 0.01) and decreased vitamin D levels(P < 0.05)(33.3% deficient and 43.3% insufficient) compared with controls. Abnormal bone status(Z score-1.98 ± 0.75) was found in ribs, L-spine, pelvis and total body. Cases treated with vitamin D showed significant higher early(P < 0.04) and sustained(P < 0.05) virological response. There was a high frequency of vitamin D deficiency among the Egyptian HCV children, with significant decrease in bone density. The vitamin D level should be assessed before the start of antiviral treatment with the correction of any detected deficiency. CONCLUSION: Adding vitamin D to conventional Peg/RBV therapy significantly improved the virological response and helped to prevent the risk of emerging bone fragility. | Azza A Eltayeb Madleen Adel A Abdou Amal M Abdel-aal Mostafa H Othman | 2015 | World Journal of Gastroenterology2015,21,4: | 3 |
| 4 | Risks of suicidality in adult patients with epilepsy显示文摘AIM: To determine the prevalence and risks of suicidality in a group of patients with epilepsy. METHODS: Included were 200 adult patients and 100 matched healthy subjects. The clinical interview using The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(4th edition), Beck Depression Inventory(2nd edition)(BDI-Ⅱ), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HAM-A), Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale(Y-BOCS) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised Rating Scale testings were used for diagnosis and assessment of severity of psychiatric symptoms. Blood concentrations of serotonin, catecholamines and dopamine were also measured.RESULTS: Suicidality was reported in 35%(compared to 9% for controls), of them 80%, 72.86%, 55.71% and 52.9% had depression, anxiety, obsession and aggression respectively. Patients with suicidality had higher scores of BDI-Ⅱ(P = 0.0001), HAM-A(P = 0.0001), and Y-BOCS(P = 0.037) and lower scores of psychotic(P = 0.0001) and extroversion(P = 0.025) personality traits. Regardless the presence or absence of suicidality, patients with epilepsy had low serotonin(P = 0.006), noradrenaline(P = 0.019) and adrenaline(P = 0.0001) levels. With suicidality, significant correlations were identified between:(1) age and scores of BDI-Ⅱ(r = 0.235, P = 0.0001) and HAM-A(r = 0.241, P = 0.046);(2) age at onset and concentrations of noradrenaline(r =-0.502, P = 0.024);(3) duration of illness and scores of BDI-Ⅱ(r = 0.247, P = 0.041), Y-BOCS(r = 0.270, P = 0.025) and neurotic personality trait(r =-0.284, P = 0.018); and(4) doses of antiepileptic drugs and scores of psychotic personality traits(r =-0.495, P = 0.006 for carbamazepine; r =-0.508, P = 0.0001 for valproate).CONCLUSION: This is the first study which systematically estimated the prevalence and risks of suicidality in a homogenous group of patients with epilepsy. This study emphasizes the importance of epilepsy itself as a risk for suicidality and not its treatment. | Sherifa A Hamed Yaser BE Elserogy Madleen A Abdou Mostafa M Abdellah | 2012 | World Journal of Psychiatry2012,2,2: | 0 |