Department Of Biochemistry Research Articles

Serum Magnesium concentration in normal and preeclamptic pregnancy: A tertiary center experience

Preeclampsia and maternal mortality are more prevalent in underdeveloped nations. Preeclampsia has an estimated 16% incidence rate in Bangladesh, which is extremely high. One of the body's major macronutrients is magnesium. It also serves a multitude of enzymes as a cofactor. This cross-sectional study was done in the department of Biochemistry of Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, from July 2016 to June 2017. This study involved a total of 100 individuals, where 50 preeclamptic patients and 50 healthy pregnant women served as the case and control groups, respectively. The results were shown as mean ±SD. For both the case and control groups, the mean ±SD of serum magnesium levels were 1.75 ±0.22 mg/dl and 1.63 ±0.21, respectively. Comparison of the mean ±SD of serum magnesium in the case and control groups revealed a highly significant difference (P<0.001). Students' unpaired ‘t’ test was used to compute the statistical difference. Mediscope 2024;11(2): 73-76

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis of Potential α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Terminalia catappa Leaf Extracts

Aims: Postprandial hyperglyceamia is often caused by insulin insufficiency or cellular glucose uptake complications, and conventional treatments often yield undesirable side effects. The aim of the current work was to assess the α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of T. catappa leaf extracts and use spectroscopic techniques to partially characterize possible inhibitors. Study Design: Phytochemical screening, enzyme inhibition assay and spectrometric and spectroscopic characterization of bioactive compounds from leaf extract and fractions of T. catappa. Place and Duration of Study: The entire work was carried out at the Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, University for Development Studies, Ghana within nine months. Methodology: T. catappa leaf extract and fractions were qualitatively screened for phytochemicals and their biological activity assessed in α-glucosidase inhibition assay. The potential enzyme inhibitors were characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy. Results: Phytochemical screening of the extract and the various solvent fractions revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, flavanol glycosides, phenolics, and terpenoids. The α-glucosidase inhibition potential of the crude leaf extract was concentration-dependent with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 337.5 µg/ml. Solvent fractions from the crude extract demonstrated α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values ranging from 170.40 µg/ml for ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction to 71.90 µg/ml for n-hexane (n-Hex) fraction. Acarbose, the control drug, demonstrated significant α-glucosidase inhibition activity in a similar pattern with IC50 of 6.16 µg/ml. The enzyme inhibition kinetics parameters, specifically the Michaelis constant (KM) and Maximum reaction velocity (Vmax) values, suggested that the inhibition of α-glucosidase by T. catappa extract followed a competitive mode. GC-MS and FT-IR analysis of the n-Hexane fraction identified the compounds Eugenol, Urs-12-en-24-oic acid, 3-oxo-, methyl ester (+)-, phytol, trans-isoeugenol, α-amyrin, and squalene as the potential antidiabetic agents that might be responsible for reducing postprandial blood glucose levels. Conclusion: These findings show that T. catappa leaf extract contains α-glucosidase inhibitors and therefore serves as a valuable resource in the discovery of natural anti-diabetic agents.

A Comparative Study of Serum Adiponectin and Insulin Resistance In Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objective: To assess correlation between serum adiponectin levels and insulin resistance in patients with Polycystic ovary syndrome. Study Design: Comparative Cross-Sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: PNS Hafeez Hospital, Islamabad Pakistan, and Multidisciplinary Lab-I, Department of Biochemistry, Army Medical College Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Feb 2018 to Jan 2019. Methodology: Three groups (35 females each) were formed from selected one hundred and five females (puberty till 25 years) who had Polycystic ovary syndrome. After overnight fast, blood samples were collected to measure serum levels of insulin and adiponectin. Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to calculate insulin resistance. Results: The over-weight PCOS subgroup displayed lowest serum adiponectin level (8.73±2.13 mg/L; 13.87±3.60 mg/L in normal weight PCOS and 15.09±3.07 mg/L in controls). There was statistical significance of serum Fasting Blood Glucose (mmol/L, p=0.002), serum Insulin (mIU/L; p=0.003) andserum Adiponectin levels (mg/L; p˂0.001) and HOMA-IR (p<0.001) among three groups. The over-weight PCOS subgroup presented with highest HOMA-IR (1.71±0.19; 1.35±0.25 in normal weight PCOS subgroup and 1.12±0.26 in controls). There is negative correlation between serum adiponectin and HOMA-IR with r= -0.46. Conclusion: In PCOS-affected females, HOMA-IR correlates inversely with serum adiponectin levels, signifying that abdominal adiposity indirectly favors insulin resistance in PCOS through decrease in adiponectin secretion. Serum adiponectin level is negatively associated with severity of IR in PCOS.

Role of Serum Alpha-fetoprotein in Assessing the Resectability of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Serum AFP is a well-established tumor marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which has already proved its acceptability in confirming the diagnosis and predicting the prognosis of HCC. Objective: The current study is aimed to evaluate the role of serum alpha-fetoprotein in assessing the resectability of HCC. Methods: This was a single-center, cross-sectional study done from September 2020 to August 2021 at the department of Hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and liver transplantation surgery at BSMMU. A total of 27 HCC patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were obtained using a standardized data collecting sheet with the patients' informed agreement. AFP was measured by automated chemiluminescence analyzer (LIAISON XL, DiaSorin, Italy) in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, BSMMU. Based on the ROC curve of this study, the patients were divided into group 1 with AFP levels 38.45 ng/ml and group 2 with AFP levels >38.45 ng/ml. According to the resectable criteria (TNM stage: I, II, BCLC stage: 0, A, B, CTP grade: A, B, ECOG PS: 0) established for the study, each AFP group was further subdivided into resectable and unresectable subgroups. Finally, the parameters (tumor size, number, location, CTP grade, fibrosis score, performance status, HBV positive, HBV DNA, BCLC and TNM stage) of the resectable and unresectable patients in each AFP group were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22. Quantitative variables were expressed as mean±standard deviation and examined using an unpaired t-test. The qualitative data were represented by frequencies and percentages, and the Chi-Square test and Fisher exact test (where applicable) were used to determine any correlation. The statistical tests were conducted with a 95% confidence interval, and P0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results: In this study, thirty seven percent (37%) patients ...........

Dysregulated renal tubular handling of filtered glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a descriptive study

Objective: To determine the frequency of suspected dysregulated renal tubular handling of filtered glucose, and its association with blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method: The analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2022 to June 2023 at the Department of Medicine along with the Department of Pathology and Biochemistry, Pakistan Railway Hospital, Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and comprised diabetics aged 19-80 years. Blood and urinary glucose were assessed at the point of contact. Blood glucose 80-180mg/dl was considered glucose in range and >180mg/dl glucose above range. Hyper-function of sodium glucose transport receptors was suspected if urinary glucose was <++ and the function of these receptors was considered normal if urinary sugar was ++ or more. Association of suspected receptors and their association with blood glucose levels was determined. Data was analysed using SPSS 26. Results: Of the 159 diabetics, 91(57%) were females and 68(43%) were males. The overall mean age was 57±11 years (range: 46-68 years). Of the total, 43(27%) patients had glucose in range and 116(73%) had glucose above range. Of the diabetics with glucose above range, 54(47%) patients had hyper-functioning sodium glucose transport receptors, and 62(53%) had normal functioning sodium glucose transport receptors. Of the patients with glucose in range, 11(26%) had hyper-functioning sodium glucose transport receptors, and 32(74%) had normal functioning sodium glucose transport receptors. There was a significant association between sodium glucose transport receptors’ function and blood glucose levels (p<0.001). Conclusion: Dysfunction of sodium glucose transport receptors affected the secretion of glucose in the urine, resulting in impaired glucose regulation in type 2 diabetes mellitus cases. Key Words: Blood glucose, Diabetes, Glycosuria, Sodium-glucose transporter 2.

The effect of severe COVID-19 infection on biochemical markers (FBS, HbA1C, FA, INS, C-Pep) in diabetic patients

Background & objective: Several studies have been conducted around the world on the impact of COVID-19 on people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Any acute illness can cause stress and increased inflammatory reactions, which increase sympathetic outflow and produce catecholamines, growth hormones, cortisol, and cytokines, all of which raise the risk and severity of complications from diabetes. Diabetes is a significant risk factor for the severity of COVID-19. We conducted this study to identify whether severe COVID-19 infection has any effect on the biomarkers, including fasting blood sugar (FBS), HbA1C, FA, INS, C-Pep, in individuals with DM. Methodology: This study was simultaneously conducted at Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Medicine of Al-Nahrain University, and Department of Medicine of Mustansiriyah University College of Medicine, Baghdad, Iraq. During the months of February and March 2022, 50 COVID-19 patients with diabetes and 50 COVID-19 patients without diabetes were included in the study. The control group included 100 healthy, sexually identical people (age 50-80), collected under the supervision of the second supervisor from relatives and students of Mustansiriyah University, College of Medicine. Venous blood samples of 5 mL were taken from all participants and subjected to laboratory tests to detect the levels of the biomarkers. Results: Average FBS level in DM patients was 304.9 mg/dL, (range 132-545.9 mg/dL), which was remarkably higher than in non-DM patient groups (193.3 mg/dL), range (of 66.2–458). The DM patients' group had a significantly higher concentration of HbA1C (median = 6.70 mg/dL, range 5.2-8.1) than the non-DM patient group (median = 5.8, range 4.2–7.6) with a significant difference. Although The group of DM patients had significantly greater FA concentrations than the group of non-DM patients. In contrast, the median and range for insulin and c-peptide Displays non-significant differences for covid-19 patients (DM and non-DM), but it's significant with a control group. Conclusion: According to this study, COVID-19 patients with diabetes had greater biochemical indicator levels than non-diabetic people. Pre- and postprandial hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis were more common in COVID-19 DM patients than in non-infected DM patients. We found that COVID-19 increased the severity risk for T2DM patients and glucose level is raised and progresses in a vicious cycle exacerbated by insulin resistance (IR) and decreased pancreatic b-cell function. Keywords: COVID-19, Diabetes mellitus, FBS, HbA1C, FA, INS, C-Pep Citation: Yones MS, Al-Wasiti E, Al Qaseer AH, Al-Rubaiawi HK. The effect of severe COVID-19 infection on biochemical markers (FBS, HbA1C, FA, INS, C-Pep) in diabetic patients. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2024;28(5):804−808; DOI: 10.35975/apic.v28i5.2553 Received: June 01, 2024; Reviewed: June 19, 2024; Accepted: June 19, 2024

Microbial and Heavy Metal Evaluation of Sachet Drinking Water in the Hohoe Municipality, Ghana

Aim: To study microbial and heavy metal composition in sachet drinking water in the Hohoe municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta region of Ghana and laboratory analyses were carried out at the Microbiology laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology between June 2018 and May 2019. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methodology: The study was conducted on three samples each of eight different brands of sachet water randomly selected across various towns from street vendors in the Hohoe Municipality for microbial and chemical analyses. 10ml of each sample was aliquoted under sterile conditions and cultured overnight in nutrient media. Enumeration and qualitative analyses of bacteria were performed using the pour plate method. For heavy metal analysis, 5 ml of concentrated HNO3 was added to 40 ml of each sample and heated at 100 °C for 20–30 minutes to reduce the volume to 20 ml. 30ml of distilled water was subsequently added and the mixture was analyzed using flame atomic absorption Spectroscopy. Results: Out of total twenty-four samples analyzed, 50% of the sachet water was contaminated with total and fecal coliforms with the highest average coliform forming unit (cfu/ml) being 16.2 x 105 cfu/ml and the least 0.01 x 105 cfu/ml. There were Klebsiella spp, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination in 50% of the sachet drinking water but Salmonella spp and E. coli were absent in all brands. Chromium was detected to be within the range of 0.40mg/L - 0.56mg/L in the sachet water while zinc was in the range of 0.03mg/L– 0.94mg/L. Chromium concentration in all sachet brands were above the WHO standard while zinc was within the acceptable range. Cadmium and lead were below detectable limits (BDL). Conclusion: This study indicated that some of the sachet drinking water sold in the Hohoe Municipality is impure for human consumption. Inappropriate water purification procedures and improper handling of sachet water play a significant role in determining the overall quality of sachet drinking water.

Comparative Study on Giving Feedback to MBBS Students by Two Different Techniques in Biochemistry in a Medical College in North India

Background: Delivering feedback to students who have just joined a new course is relevant for it may help them to understand their subject better and hence enhance their performance. Aim: The present study aimed to provide feedback to students using two different techniques: the sandwich method and the Ask-Tell-Ask method. It also evaluated students’ perceptions of the feedback and assessed the quality of the feedback provided. Materials and Methods: The present study was a prospective randomized study conducted in the department of biochemistry with 1st-year MBBS students from August 2022 to November 2022. Students were divided into two groups based on their midterm marks: 58 students who scored more than 50% received collective feedback, while 41 students who scored <50% received feedback individually. Results: The difference in midterm marks obtained by students of the group which was provided feedback individually compared to the other group which received collective feedback was statistically significant (P ˂ 0.000). After applying the intervention, the mean marks obtained by the group who received the individual feedback increased by 12.35 ± 17.57. This lead to a decreased difference in the mean marks between both the groups although it still remained statistically significant (P = 0.0004). However, no statistical difference has been observed in the mean increment of marks based on which faculty provided the feedback as determined by the one-way analysis of variance (P = 0.8). The perceptions of students regarding the provided feedback and the quality of the feedback taken with the help of two different questionnaires revealed that 75.5% of students felt that the feedback provided was relevant and related to the topic. The feedback was provided within 2 weeks (75.3%) of conducting the test. About 75.6% of students felt that they got motivated for working hard. About 65.9% of students feel that providing feedback should be made a norm in the institute. Conclusions: The study found that providing individual feedback increased the mean marks of students with no statistical difference in the mean increment of marks based on which faculty member provided the feedback. The students perceived the feedback as relevant, timely (provided within 2 weeks of the test), and related to their performance. They felt that the culture of delivering feedback should be made an institutional norm.

Evaluation of antioxidant status of lens epithelial cells in cataract patients.

The main factor that causes cataracts is the increased oxidative stress and imbalance of an antioxidant defense mechanism, which leads to significant changes in the lens microarchitecture. Senile cataract is the most common type of acquired cataracts due to aging. We carried out a case-control study in the biochemistry department to examine the antioxidant status (catalase and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]) and lipid peroxidation marker, that is, malondialdehyde (MDA) in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) of different grades of senile cortical, nuclear, and posterior subcapsular cataracts. We collected 150 samples from patients aged 50-90 years. These included 50 samples of cortical cataracts, 50 of nuclear cataracts, and 50 samples of posterior subcapsular cataracts. We measured catalase activity by the Beer method, TAC by the Benzie and Strain method, and protein by the Bradford method. We also estimated TAC in the aqueous extract of HLECs by the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) method and MDA by the thiobarbituric acid assay method. The results of this study showed that the level of catalase enzyme was higher in the first grade of nuclear, posterior subcapsular, and cortical cataracts than in other grades. This suggests that the catalase enzyme activity drops sharply in the second and third grades of these types of cataracts. The same pattern was observed for TAC, which was higher in the first grade of nuclear, posterior subcapsular, and cortical cataracts than in other grades. There were significant differences between catalase and TAC in different grades of cataracts, indicating that as the grading increases, both catalase and TAC decrease. The results of this study showed that the levels of MDA were higher and the levels of catalase and TAC were lower in patients with more severe cataracts compared to the healthy controls.

The Role of Serum Level of Col2a1 and Hyaluoronic Acid in Diagnosis of Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex condition in which affected tissues experience changes in metabolism, structure, biochemistry, and function. This condition arises when chondrocytes fail to balance the synthesis and degradation of extracellular components like proteoglycans and collagens, leading to inflammation of the synovial membrane and joint capsule. Aim of the study: This study was designed to evaluate the serum levels of Type II Collagen alpha 1 (coll2a1) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) in diagnosis of early stage of knee osteoarthritis in Iraqi patients Subjects and Methods: This case- control study was carried out at Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad and at Rheumatology Department , Baghdad Hospital / Medical City, during the period from September 2022 to March 2023. It included ninety volunteer males and females subdivided into subgroups: Group 1consisted of 50 patients who have had early stages of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and group 2 involved 40 apparently healthy subjects who served as control group. The diagnosis of KOA was made by a consultant rheumatologist using American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Moreover, patients were sub- classified according to their BMI (normal weight, overweight and obese) and KOA severity (grad1 and grad 2). Investigations included serum measurements of Human serum coll2a1( type II collagen alpha I) and Human serum HA (Hyaluronic Acid) in all patients and controls by ELISA technique. Results: The mean (±SD) values of Coll2a1, HA, of KOA patients were significantly higher than those of controls (for all, p <0.01). There was significant positive correlation between. The mean value of serum hyaluronic acid was significantly increased in grad 2 KOA when compared with grad 1 KOA patients (p < 0.004). The results found that fibulin-3 has the highest receiver operator characteristic (ROC) and area under curve (AUC=89.2% ) at cutoff (7.50 ng/ml) with sensitivity 80.0 and specificity 80.0 in diagnosis of KOA. Also, serum Coll2a1 has high diagnostic utility (AUC=88.6%) at cutoff (286.00 pg/ml) with sensitivity 82.0 and specificity 80.0 . Conclusion: Assessing non-invasive serum levels of coll2a1 (with a cutoff of 286.00 pg/ml) offers a new biochemical marker for diagnosing the early stages of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) potentially before changes become visible on X-rays. Additionally, measuring serum hyaluronic acid levels could serve as an indicator of disease severity, helping to differentiate between various grades of KOA.

Ceramide As A Potential Tumor Marker For Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer And Its Association With Lipid Profile

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent type of malignancy cancer among men worldwide. Ceramides are fatty acid derivatives of sphingoid bases, and formed not only through the de novo biosynthetic pathway, but also from the degradation of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and ceramide-1-phosphate. Dyslipidaemia is part of metabolic syndrome, characterized by an alteration of the plasma lipid profile, including Cholesterol, HDL, and triglyceride levels. Objective Evaluate serum ceramide as tumer marker of prostate cancer and its association with lipid profile. Method This case- control study was carried out at Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad and at Urology department, Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital for surgical speciality during the period from March 2022 to May 2023. It included 120 men patients, 60 men patients who newly diagnosed to have primary prostate cancer (PCa), and 60 men were apparently healthy men. Investigations included serum measurements of ceramide by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and also measurement of lipid profile by using semi-auto biochemistry analyzer.Results The results of the present study showed that there was a significant differences in ceramide in prostate cancer patients as compared with the control group The results also showed that the S.Cholesterol, and S.Triglyceride were higher in the patients group compared to the controls group with significant statistical difference. Conclusion. According to the results obtained we can suggest that higher levels of ceramide, Cholesterol and Triglyceride may be associated with risk of prostate cancer.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a biomarker for detection of early renal impairment in Iraqi patients with multiple myeloma.

To evaluate the serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in multiple myeloma patients as an indicator of disease progression. The case-control study was conducted at the Clinical Biochemistry Department of the National Centre of Haematology, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq, from October 2020 to July 2021, amd comprised diagnosed multiple myeloma patients and healthy controls of either gender aged 40-60 years. Neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin and renal functions were measured for all patients in addition to obtaining a complete history and physical examination. Data was analysed using MedCalc. Of the 60 sujects, 30(50) were cases with mean age 64±2.1 years and 30(50%) were controls with mean age 60 ±3.2 years. There were 18(68%) males among the cases and 17(55%) among the controls. In the cases group, mean levels of creatinine, urea and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were 1.62±0.85mg/dl, 55.56±28.05mg/dl and 389.39±116.12pg/mL, respectively. The corresponding values for the controls were 0.9518±0.1623mg/dl, 30.17±8.47mg/dl and 120.82±68'52pg/ml. The neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin cutoff level >190pg/ml in multiple myeloma patients was strongly associated with renal impairment (p<0.001). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin was found to be an accurate indicator of early kidney disease in patients with de novo multiple myeloma.

William Joseph Whelan. 14 November 1924 — 5 June 2021

William Whelan was an exceptionally celebrated scientist recognized equally for his work in research, education, publishing and international scientific organizations. He studied organic chemistry at the University of Birmingham. He taught at the University College of North Wales and the University of London and became head of the Department of Biochemistry of the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, University of London, in 1964. In 1967 he moved to the United States and served as professor and chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Miami Medical School for the rest of his career. Bill is known for his pioneering research on the structure of starch and glycogen. He discovered that glycogen contained the protein glycogenin, an enzyme with primer function in the synthesis of glycogen. This discovery filled a crucial gap in understanding the biosynthetic process that transforms glucose into glycogen. Bill's contributions, including his innovative methods for isolating and characterizing molecular structures like glycogen, have since become established scientific practices, and he established some of the fundamental concepts and nomenclature used in the carbohydrate field today.

Frecuencia y conocimiento de tripanosomiasis americana en habitantes de la municipalidad de Vinto, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Introduction: American trypanosomiasis is caused by the blood parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, it affects 21 countries in the America, especially rural populations. Objectives: To determine the frequency and knowledge of American trypanosomiasis, as well as to disaggregate the frequency of American trypanosomiasis reemplazar por by sex and age group in the inhabitants of the municipality of Vinto, Cochabamba - Bolivia. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study with a non-experimental cross-sectional design was carried out. A total of 207 inhabitants of the municipality of Vinto attended the clinical analysis laboratory of the Biochemistry Department of the Adventist University of Bolivia. The sera were processed by indirect hemagglutination (HAI). Knowledge about American trypanosomiasis was determined by means of a structured survey. Pearson’s chi-square was used to relate variables and was considered significant at p&lt;0.05. Results: The frequency of American trypanosomiasis in inhabitants of the municipality of Vinto was 11.6%. There was no relationship between the frequency of American trypanosomiasis and sex (p&gt;0.05) but there was a relationship with the age group (p&lt;0.05). 72.9% claimed to know about American trypanosomiasis. Conclusions: The results show that the frequency of American trypanosomiasis is low and that most of the inhabitants of the municipality of Vinto, Cochabamba, Bolivia have knowledge about the disease. In addition, it was found that there is only a relationship betweenthe frequency of American trypanosomiasis and age group.

Epidemiology of urolithiasis in south of Tunisia

Determine the epidemiological characteristics of urolithiasis in the South region of Tunisia and the impact of age and sex on stone composition. We conducted a retrospective study including patient records whose urinary lithiasis was analyzed within the biochemistry department of CHU Habib Bourguiba of Sfax (2011-2020). Stone analysis was performed using a stereomicroscope and infrared spectroscopy. A total of 1127 stones were analyzed. The sex ratio was 2,6. Renal Colic pain was the most common symptom (48,3%). The most frequent localization of the stones (84.6%) was the upper urinary tract. Whewellite was the most common component (64.1%). The study of stone component according to age showed a decrease in the frequency of weddellite (p =0,024) and an increase in the frequency of uric acid stones with age (p <0,001). Whewellite was more frequent in men (p =0.022) and, notably in our series, uric acid was significantly more frequent in women (p <0.001). The epidemiological profile of urolithiasis in south of Tunisia is similar to that observed in industrialized countries.

A Study on Serum Hepatic Enzymes in Smokers and Nonsmoker’s Adult Male

Background: Cigarette smoking is one of the greatest indirect causes of global death and disease. Cigarette smoke consists of many chemicals, including cytotoxic, carcinogenic and free radicals, therefore it affects many organs including liver either directly or indirectly. Objective: The aim of this study was to find out level of serum hepatic enzymes in smokers and non-smokers adult male. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 2019 to December 2019. Total study subjects were one hundred and twenty with age ranging from 20 to 50 years of male gender, selected from attendance of admitted patients and third &amp; forth class employees of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka. Study subjects were grouped smokers as Group A and age and gender matched, nonsmokers as Group B. Group A smokers again divided into three groups. Group A1- heavy smokers (who consume 20 cigarette sticks or more per day) consist of thirty study subjects, Group A2- moderate smokers (who consume 11-19 cigarette sticks per day) consist of thirty study subjects and Group A3- light smokers (who consume 1-10 cigarette sticks per day) consist of thirty study subjects. Serum Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level of all study subjects were estimated and recorded. Results: Mean age of the study subjects in group A1, A2, A3 &amp; B were 33.88 years, 34.60 years, 34.60 years and 29.80 years. There was a significant increase in serum ALT, AST and ALP level in heavy, moderate and light smokers when compared to nonsmokers, but the increase was more significant in heavy smokers when compared to moderate smokers, also moderate smokers when compared to light smokers. Conclusion: This study revealed that significantly higher level of serum hepatic enzymes with smokers when compared to that of non smokers. This significantly higher level was also seen in heavy smokers in comparison to moderate smokers, moderate smokers in comparison to light smokers.

Serum Interleukin (IL)-6, Lipid Profile, and Association With Disease Severity in Patients With Psoriasis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study estimated the lipid profile and inflammatory biomarker (interleukin-6, IL-6) levels in patients with psoriasis and explored the association between lipid profiles and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6) in assessing the severity of the disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, in association with the Department of Dermatology, at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Burla, from November 2022 to June 2023. A fully automated analyzer (Cobas C311, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) was used to estimate the lipid profile, while the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Erba, Transasia Bio-medicals Ltd., Mumbai, India) was used to estimate the inflammatory marker (IL-6). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). An unpaired t-test was conducted to examine the relationship between two variables. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. The correlation among IL-6, lipid profile, and psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Quantitative data were expressed as means and standard deviations. Of the 102 study participants, 68 had psoriasis alone, and 34 had psoriasis with arthritis (psoriatic arthritis, PsA). Higher mean serum concentrations of IL-6, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides were found in patients with PsAcompared to those with psoriasis alone. In patients with PsA, TCand IL-6showed a strong positive correlation with the PASIscore. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein showed a negative correlation with PASI (r = -0.036, p < 0.05). In conclusion, our study revealed lipid profile abnormalities and increased IL-6activity in PsA patients. By measuring inflammatory markers (IL-6) and lipid profiles early in the disease process, we can employ preventive strategies to better manage and improve survival and quality of life in patients with psoriasis.

История организационно-управленческой деятельности советского микробиолога Зинаиды Виссарионовны Ермольевой

The study aims to reconstruct the organizational and managerial aspect in the scientific biography of Zinaida Vissarionovna Ermolyeva (1898-1974), a prominent Soviet microbiologist who produced the first Soviet antibiotic penicillin. The paper analyzes Ermolyeva’s work leading various scientific units and institutions: the Department of Microbial Biochemistry at the A. N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, followed by the A. M. Gorky All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine, the Institute of Biological Prophylaxis of Infections, and the Department of Microbiology at the Central Institute for Advanced Medical Training. The study is novel in that it is the first one to shed light on the role of Z. V. Ermolyeva as an organizer of science and a leader of a scientific team, based on the analysis of a number of unpublished documents from three federal archives. As a result of the study, Ermolyeva’s scientific-organizational activity has been reconstructed and it has been established that for half a century her professional activity was associated not only with research in the field of microbiology and medicine, but also with the successful organization of Soviet science within academic and educational institutions, where she managed to create cohesive teams of talented researchers who made a significant contribution to the development of Soviet microbiology and medicine.

Front Cover Image

ON THE FRONT COVER: Normal human breast epithelial cells expressing GFP‐LIMD1 (green) and tained for F‐actin (red) and DNA (blue).Credit: Samriddha Ray, Chamika DeSilva, Natasha Cruz‐Calderon and Daniel McCollum. University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology. image

Biochemistry department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University.

Biochemistry department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University.