Differences In White Blood Cell Research Articles

Subchronic toxcity study of Khaya senegalensis aqueous extract in rats

This study was carried out to investigate the sub chronic effects of oral administration of different doses: 100mg/kg, 400mg/kg, l600mg/kg, 6400mg/kg of aqueous extract of Khaya senegalensis in wistar rats. The rats were randomly separated to groups "A-G". The group "A" was considered as a non treated control. The other groups B, C, D and E respectively, were test groups and were treated with the extract. The biochemical and haematological parameters were assessed after 21 days of oral administration of the extract. The liver, kidney, pancreas, and heart of various experimental rats were harvested and preserved. The parenchymal tissues were fixed and using a microtome prepared to slides. Histopathological changes were observed using standard methods. There were no significant differences in white blood cell (WBC), Differential leucocytes count (DLC), haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume (PCV) and Red Blood Cell count (RBC) respectively. There was however a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the serum Alanine amino transferase (ALT) in groups B, C and D and also a significant (p<0.05) decrease in AST levels in group B and E. The blood glucose levels also decreased significantly (P<0.05) in groups concentration in groups C, D, and E. Histopathological examination showed moderate degenerative changes and congestions in the livers and kidneys and pancreas in all treated groups. This gave an insiglht on the effects of oral administration of an aqueous extract of Khaya senegalensis on the haematological and biochemical parameters, with the related tissue pathology, in experimental wistar rats. Conclusion could be made that care should be taken in prolonged administration of high doses of aqueous extract of Khaya senegalensis man and animals.

Expression and Significance of Hepatitis B Virus X Protein and Hepatitis B Virus DNA Levels in Renal Tissue of Patients with Glomerulonephritis and Hepatitis B Virus Infection

To investigate the expression and clinical significance of hepatitis B virus X protein and hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid in hepatitis B virus associated nephritis. 78 patients with hepatitis B virus associated nephritis treated in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were selected as observation group. At the same time, 70 patients with nephritis with positive hepatitis B markers but without hepatitis B surface antigen and/or hepatitis B core antigen deposition in renal tissue were selected as the control group. The clinical data, hepatitis B virus X protein and hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid were compared between the two groups. There was no significant difference in white blood cells, red blood cells, platelet count test, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time between the observation group and the control group (p>0.05). The positive rate of hepatitis B virus X protein and the proportion of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid >105 IU/ml in the observation group were 61.54 %, 89.74 % and 52.56 % respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). The proportion of ‘Xiaosanyang’ and hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid <103 IU/ml were 32.05 % and 11.54 % respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). The proportion of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid quantification >105 IU/ml in the observation group was 62.50 %, which was significantly higher than that in the non-three-positive patients (p<0.05). The proportion of patients with hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid quantification >105 IU/ml in the observation group was 76.00 %, which was significantly higher than that in patients with effective treatment (p<0.05). The levels of hepatitis B virus X protein and hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid in patients with hepatitis B virus-associated nephritis were higher and the level of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid was related to Sanyang and therapeutic effect, but hepatitis B virus X protein was not significantly correlated.

Effects of the occupational exposure on health status among petroleum station workers, Khartoum State, Sudan.

The hazards of petroleum station activities are greatly emphasized due to their negative impact on workers' health and safety concerns. This study aims to assess the effect of occupational exposure among the workers in various petroleum station at the Khartoum State, Sudan. An analytical and experimental study design is followed where 60 participants were selected through purposive sampling technique. The participants were recruited from the petroleum workstation and were considered as the lead exposed group whereas the participants who lived faraway from the petroleum station and had no exposure to lead were considered as un-exposed group. To avoid the effects of smoking on lead concentration we further divided these groups into smokers and non-smokers. IBM, SPSS was used for the statistical analysis of the collected data. The results show that there is no significant difference in white blood cells (WBCs) count between exposed and unexposed lead group. We also did not find significant difference in Red blood cells (RBCs) count. Participant from both groups had normal range of haemoglobin (Hb). However, haematocrit (Hct) levels were elevated in both of these groups. We also tested the platelet count in these groups and found that platelet count was slightly lower in lead exposed group as compared to the unexposed group but average count was found within the normal range. Finally, the lead concentration in serum and urine was detected of the participants. Results reveal that the serum lead concentration of non-smokers (0.58 mg/l) in the exposed group was higher than in non-smokers of unexposed group (0.49 mg/l). The lead concentration in serum of smokers in exposed group was also high (1.49 mg/l) than the lead concentration detected in serum of smokers in unexposed group (1.14 mg/l). Urine lead levels of exposed group was also high than the unexposed group in smokers and non-smokers. Mean value of lead in urine among non-smokers of the exposed and unexposed group were 0.76 mg/L and 0.19 mg/L respectively. In the case of smokers, 1.59 mg/L and 1.16 mg/L were the mean value of lead in urine for both exposed and unexposed groups respectively. From the given results it can be concluded that health safety measures for workers must be implemented to maintain good health status of workers at petroleum stations.

Red blood cell alloimmunization and sickle cell disease: a narrative review on antibody induction.

The high prevalence of red blood cell (RBC) alloantibodies in people with sickle cell disease (SCD) cannot be debated. Why people with SCD are so likely to form RBC alloantibodies, however, remains poorly understood. Over the past decade, a better understanding of non-ABO blood group antigen variants has emerged; RH genetic diversity and the role this diversity plays in RBC alloimmunization is discussed elsewhere. Outside of antigen variants, the immune systems of people with SCD are known to be different than those of people without SCD. Some of these differences are due to effects of free heme, whereas others are impacted by hyposplenism. Descriptive studies of differences in white blood cell (WBC) subsets, platelet counts and function, and complement activation between people with SCD and race-matched controls exist. Studies comparing the immune systems of alloimmunized people with SCD to non-alloimmunized people with SCD to race-matched controls without SCD have uncovered differences in T-cell subsets, monocytes, Fcγ receptor polymorphisms, and responses to free heme. Studies in murine models have documented the role that recipient inflammation plays in RBC alloantibody formation, with human studies reporting a similar association. Murine studies have also reported the importance of type 1 interferon (IFNα/β), known to play a pivotal role in autoimmunity, in RBC alloantibody formation. The goal of this manuscript is to review existing data on factors influencing RBC alloantibody induction in people with SCD with a focus on inflammation and other immune system considerations, from the bench to the bedside.

The Observation of Blood Biochemistry and HSP72 Expression Changing Rules in Peripheral Blood of Flying-saucer-athletes under High Temperature Training

Objective: To study the effect of training under high temperature on blood and heat shock protein 72(HSP72) expression of flying saucer athletes. Methods: The numbers of training group and control group are 30. Twenty-four flying saucer athletes in Zhejiang province were selected and randomly divided into training group and control group, 15 in each group. Peripheral venous blood of each group was taken before and after the experiment. The HSP72 content of lymphocyte, blood routine and biochemical indexes were measured respectively. Results: There was significant difference in white blood cell in training group count before and after the experiment (P&lt; 0.05). The expression of HSP72 and the white blood cell in training group was higher than that control group (P&lt; 0.05). Conclusions: Organism could be affected and turned to stress state due to training under high temperature. It is necessary to provide the safeguard for the flying saucer athletes under high temperature in order to prevent the damage.

2 Acute phase response to lipopolysaccharide challenge in beef steers supplemented with prebiotic blends

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the effects of two prebiotic blends on the acute phase response (APR) following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in steers. Crossbred steers (n = 36; 273±4 kg) were fed for 21d on three different treatments: 1) Control, fed a standard receiving ration; 2) Control ration supplemented with a Prebiotic/Probiotic blend (28.4 g/hd/d; PMI); and 3) Control ration supplemented with a DFM/Prebiotic blend (19.0 g/hd/d; PMI). On d20, calves were fitted with indwelling rectal temperature (RT) monitors and jugular catheters and moved into individual stanchions in a covered barn. On d21, blood samples were collected, and sickness behavior scores recorded at 0.5-h intervals from -2 to 8h and again at 24h relative to an i.v. challenge with 0.25 µg/kg BW LPS. Serum was isolated and stored until analyzed for pro-inflammatory cytokines, cortisol and glucose concentrations. Complete blood counts were measured every 2h from -2 to 8h and again at 24h. Pre-challenge RT measured for 18h prior to the challenge tended (P = 0.10) to be affected by treatment such that calves fed the Prebiotic/Probiotic blend had greater RT than Control and tended to be greater than calves fed the DFM/Prebiotic blend (38.9, 39.2, and 39.0±0.1oC, respectively). Post-challenge RT increased 0.8–1.0oC on average but did not differ between treatments (P = 0.53). Sickness behavior scores were not different between treatments (P = 0.14). There were no differences in white blood cell or differential counts between treatments (P ≥ 0.25). Serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ increased in response to the challenge (P &amp;lt; 0.01) but were not different between treatments (P ≥ 0.26). Serum cortisol and glucose concentrations were reduced in both supplemented groups compared to Control steers (P ≤ 0.006). Therefore, the data suggest that the effects of the prebiotic blends during an immune challenge were limited to alterations in metabolic biomarkers and energy utilization.

Lymphocyte cell population as a potential hematological index for early diagnosis of COVID-19

The pandemic diseases caused by SARS-CoV-2 are now threatening human health and survival. Early diagnosis and isolation of mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 patients is important to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we investigate the potential clinical utility of lymphocyte CPD for early diagnosis of COVID-19. To investigate the potential of lymphocyte cell population data (lymphocyte CPD) for use in early diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Lymphocyte CPD of healthy control (n = 51), common cold patients (n = 49) and mild COVID-19 patients (n = 126) were generated using hematology analyzer. The parameters were subjected to sensitivity and specificity analysis to determine their suitability as biomarkers for early diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Normality analysis showed that lymphocyte CPD followed a normal distribution. There were no significant differences in white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocyte (LY#) counts as well as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) among the groups (p &gt; 0.05). Lymphocyte volume standard deviation (LV-SD), lymphocyte conductivity standard deviation (LC-SD) and lymphocyte light scatter standard deviation (LS-SD) were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group than in common cold and control groups (p &lt; 0.05). The corresponding mean lymphocyte light scattering (MLS) was significantly reduced in the COVID-19 group, relative to the common cold group, but was significantly increased, when compared with the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in mean lymphocyte volume (MLV) between the COVID-19 group and the common cold or control group (p &gt; 0.05), but it was significantly higher in the common cold group than in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). At a cutoff value ≥ 16.38, LS-SD was more sensitive and specific than other lymphocyte CPD parameters. At a cutoff value ≥ 11.89, LC-SD achieved 84.4 % sensitivity, 87.5 % specificity, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.888. However, at a cutoff value ≥ 15.95, LS-SD reached 81.3 % sensitivity, 75 % specificity and an AUC of 0.876. These results suggest that lymphocyte CPD parameters have great diagnostic potential for SARS-CoV-2 infection and can be used for early diagnosis of the disease.

Pediyatrik COVID-19'da Elektrokardiyografi Değişiklikleri ve Laboratuvar Parametrelerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Objective: Cardiac involvement of Coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19) may be reflected by electrocardiographic (ECG) changes. ECG changes that may occur in hospital admission for COVID-19 in children have not yet been fully evaluated. Materials-Methods: We examined 83 children admitted to our hospital with proven COVID-19. A detailed clinical examination, 12-lead ECG and laboratory tests were recorded. And then all laboratory parameters were evaluated by age. Results: P wave amplitude was normal in 77.1% and high in 22.9% of study population. There was a significant difference in white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte, neutrophil, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer values between the group with P wave amplitude normal and the high group. 13.3% of patients had first degree AV block and 86.7% did not. There was a significant difference between the groups in WBC, lymphocyte, D-dimer, AST values. In our study, there was right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) in the ECG of 17 cases. There was a significant difference in WBC, lymphocyte, D-dimer, LDH, AST values between groups with and without RVH. In addition, there were positive correlations among V1R, V6S, V1 R / S ratio and WBC, lymphocyte, D-dimer, creatinine kinase (CK), creatinine kinase isoform MB (CK-MB), LDH, AST values. Conclusions: Pathological ECG findings were associated with laboratory values used in the course of the disease. We think that ECG is a test in the course of COVID-19 in children, which may make important contributions to clinicians to manage the patients when interpreted correctly.

The FDP/FIB Ratio and Blood FDP Level May Be Related to Seizures After Fever in Young Children.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of the blood fibrinogen (FIB) degradation product (FDP) level and FDP/FIB ratio with seizure in young children with fever.Methods: A total of 35 children with simple febrile seizures and 80 children with fever but no seizure were selected. First, the differences in white blood cell (WBC), platelets (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), FIB, FDP, FDP/FIB ratio, and C-reactive protein (CRP) between 35 children with simple febrile seizures and 40 randomly selected children with fever but no seizure were retrospectively analyzed. Then, an ROC curve was used to determine the diagnostic utility of the FDP level, FDP/FIB ratio, and FDP+FDP/FIB ratio, and the best diagnostic cutoff points were selected. Finally, the diagnostic specificities of the three diagnostic indicators were verified by comparison with the results of all 80 children with fever but no seizure.Results: The FDP level and FDP/FIB ratio were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.0001) and there was a positive correlation between the FDP and FIB levels. Both the FDP level and FDP/FIB ratio had good diagnostic value. An FDP ≥ 2.0 mg/L and FDP/FIB ratio ≥ 0.5 had good diagnostic specificities. Combined application of an FDP ≥ 2.0 mg/L and FDP/FIB ratio ≥ 0.5 improved the diagnostic power.Conclusions: The blood FDP level and FDP/FIB ratio may be related to seizures after fever, and an FDP ≥ 2.0 mg/L + FDP/FIB ratio ≥ 0.5 has good diagnostic specificity.

Comparison of Ventricular and Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid Composition.

ObjectiveCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is a common diagnostic tool used to evaluate diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). We sought to determine whether there is a difference between the composition of CSF sampled from an external ventricular drain (EVD) and lumbar drain (LD) and whether this made a difference in guiding therapeutic decisions.Patients and MethodsThis study was a retrospective analysis from a single neurosurgery service between the dates of January 2011 and April 2019. A total of 12,134 patients were screened. Inclusion criteria were ages 18-80 and the presence of both an EVD and LD. Exclusion criteria were not having both routes of CSF sampling and the inability to determine which samples originated from which compartment.ResultsSix patients underwent simultaneous spinal and ventricular routine CSF sampling <24 hours apart and were analyzed for their compositions. There were 42 samples, but only 20 paired EVD-LD samples that could be analyzed. When comparing the EVD and LD sample compositions, there were statistically significant differences in white blood cells (WBCs; p = 0.040), total protein (p = 0.042), and glucose (p = 0.043). Red blood cells (RBCs; p = 0.104) and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN; p = 0.544) were not statistically significant. We found a statistically significant correlation between cranial and spinal CSF WBC (r = 0.944, p < 0.001), protein (r = 0.679, p = 0.001), and glucose (r = 0.805, p < 0.001). We also found that there was a significant correlation between CSF and serum glucose (r = 0.502, p = 0.040). There was no statistically significant correlation between RBCs (r = 0.276, p = 0.252).ConclusionOur results demonstrate a correlation between the cranial and spinal CSF samples, except for RBCs, with statistically significant differences in WBC, glucose, and protein values between the two sites. This confirms that sampling CSF via lumbar puncture, which carries less risk than a ventriculostomy and provides accurate data to help establish a diagnosis for intracranial pathologies.

High White Blood Cell Count Is a Risk Factor for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy following Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Although mechanical thrombectomy is a standard endovascular therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), the incidence of and risk factors for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) following mechanical thrombectomy are infrequently reported. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for CIN following mechanical thrombectomy for AIS, and whether the incidence of CIN is related to a poor prognosis. Methods: We examined consecutive patients who underwent a mechanical thrombectomy in the period from January 2014 to March 2018. The patients’ clinical backgrounds, treatments, and clinical prognoses were analyzed. CIN was defined as an increase in the serum creatinine level of ≥44.2 μmol/L (0.5 mg/dL) or 25% above baseline within 72 h after exposure to the contrast medium. Results: In total, 80 patients (46 men and 34 women aged 74.5 ± 11.5 years) who met our inclusion criteria were analyzed. CIN occurred in 8.8% (7/80) of the patients following mechanical thrombectomy. Although no patients needed permanent dialysis, 1 required temporary dialysis. The median amount of contrast medium was 109 mL. A comparison between the groups with and without CIN showed a significant difference in white blood cell (WBC) count at the time of admission (11.6 ± 2.7 × 10³/μL and 8.1 ± 2.7 × 10³/μL; p < 0.01) and the cut-off value was 9.70 × 10³/μL. In multivariate analysis, contrast volume/estimated glomerular filtration rate by creatinine and WBC count were significantly associated with the incidence of CIN, with odds ratios of 1.64 (95% CI 1.02–2.65; p = 0.04) and 1.61 (95% CI 1.15–2.25; p < 0.01), respectively. Conclusions: This study found that CIN occurred in 8.8% of patients with AIS following mechanical thrombectomy. High WBC count was associated with an increased risk of CIN and may be helpful for predicting CIN.

Is there an association between platelet and blood inflammatory indices and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus?

ObjectiveGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most prevalent medical complication in pregnancy. Early diagnosis of GDM can influence maternal/neonatal outcomes. To assess the association between platelet and blood inflammatory indices and the risk of GDM occurrence using the complete blood count (CBC) test. We also aimed to determine the sensitivity of each parameter for an early screening of this disorder during pregnancy.MethodsThis case-control study included 2 groups of 110 pregnant women with and without GDM. The women in each group were compared after the routine screening for GDM and after the CBC test at 24–28 weeks' gestation after being matched according to the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 and Medcalc version 14.8.1 software.ResultsThere were statistically significant intergroup differences in white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT), MPV to platelet ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, and Rh values. The values of lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, and blood group were not significantly different between groups. The logistic regression analysis showed the predictive values of WBC, platelet, MPV, and PCT in GDM. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve for all 3 variables, the level below the PCT chart was more than that of the others.ConclusionIncreasing platelet and inflammatory indices on the CBC test in the second trimester of pregnancy seemed to be associated with the probability of GDM occurrence.

Comparison of the clinical application values of PCT, hs-CRP and SAA detection in the early diagnosis of sepsis.

Objectives:To investigate the clinical application values of procalcitonin (PCT), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) in the early diagnosis of sepsis.Methods:In this retrospective analysis, 36 patients admitted to Liaocheng People’s Hospital were selected from May 2018 to July 2019. According to infectious disease diagnostic criteria, 17 patients were confirmed to have sepsis (observation group), and 19 patients were determined to be nonseptic (control group). The levels of PCT, CRP and SAA of patients were detected on admission, and the clinical application values of PCT, CRP and SAA for sepsis were compared.Results:Seventeen patients were included in the observation group, including 9 males and 8 females, with an average age of 52.18 ± 9.49 years; 19 patients were included in the control group, including 12 males and 7 females, with an average age of 51.53 ± 8.50 years. On admission, there were significant differences in white blood cell (WBC) count (t = 5.134), neutrophil count (t = 3.143), lymphocyte count (t = 2.510), PCT (t = 9.250), hs-CRP (t = 2.947) and SAA (t = 11.360) between the observation group and the control group, and the differences were statistically significant. For the comparison of clinical application values: the sensitivity of PCT, hs-CRP and SAA was 78.95%, 52.17% and 50.00%, respectively; the specificity of PCT, hs-CRP and SAA was 88.24%, 61.54% and 37.50%, respectively; the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PCT, hs-CRP and SAA was 0.920, 0.684 and 0.870, respectively; the logistic regression coefficient of PCT, hs-CRP and SAA was -0.577, -0.028 and -0.009, respectively; and the 95% confidence interval (CI) of PCT, hs-CRP and SAA was 0.779-0.985, 0.508-0.828 and 0.716-0.958, respectively.Conclusion:Compared with hs-CRP and SAA, PCT had a higher clinical application value for sepsis, and PCT could be used as a reliable index for the early diagnosis of sepsis.

The diagnostic process of covıd-19 in the emergency department: laboratory and ımaging methods.

The 2019 Novel coronavirus disease puts a serious burden on the health system. Therefore, the detection of particularly serious patients at an early stage is extremely important in terms of controlling the outbreak and improving the prognosis. We investigated the role of inflammatory markers studied in patients suspected of COVID-19 at an emergency department in predicting PCR and CT results. This retrospective study was carried out with 133 patients who were admitted between 13 March and 1st April 2020 with suspicion of COVID-19. The patients were divided into four groups according to CT and RT-PCR results and evaluated. Considering all patients, no specific findings were found in the hematological and biochemical values of patients in the laboratory analyses. Although all of the results remained within the reference range, there was a significant difference in white blood cell, neutrophil, platelet, and lymphocyte values when the groups were compared [p = 0.000; p = 0.004; p = 0.022; p = 0.023]. Laboratory is not specific enough in the pre-diagnosis. In addition, this result does not alter with PCR or CT positivity. However, minimal changes observed in laboratory results may be partially guiding in patients in whom both PCR and CT are positive.

Efficacy of early combination of local radiotherapy and GM-CSF for advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with icotinib.

Lung cancer is a disease that severely endangers human health. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 4/5 of lung cancers. To investigate the efficacy of early combination of local radiotherapy and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for advanced NSCLC treated with icotinib. Forty-two patients with stage IV NSCLC complicated with EGFR gene mutation were selected and randomly divided into two groups, with 21 patients in each group. Patients in control group were treated with icotinib, and patients in experimental group were treated with icotinib combined with local radiotherapy and subcutaneous injection of GM-CSF. One-year progression free survival between two groups was compared. Three months after treatment, the efficacy in experimental group was significantly better than that in control group, and objective response rate was 95.24% in experimental group, which was higher than the 71.43% in control group. Patients in experimental group had no differences in white blood cell and neutrophil, but had significantly lower carcino-embryonic antigen and neuron-specific enolase levels and higher CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ than those in control group and before treatment. There were no differences in the proportion of patients with adverse reactions between two groups. One-year progression free survival was significantly better in experimental group than in control group. Early combination of local radiotherapy and GM-CSF has a significant efficacy for advanced NSCLC accounts for approximately 4/5 of lung cancers treated with icotinib, and it can improve patients' autoimmunity and lengthen progression free survival.

Complete blood cell count indexes in non‐arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

AbstractPurposeTo investigate the role of some blood count‐derived inflammation biomarkers in non‐arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).Methods37 newly diagnosed NAION patients and 37 sex‐ and age‐matched subjects without NAION were recruited between January 2017 and December 2018. A blood sample was taken and complete blood cell count was performed. The following blood cell count‐derived indexes were evaluated: neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived NLR [dNLR = neutrophils/(white blood cells‐neutrophils)], platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR).ResultsNAION patients had significantly higher median values of mean platelet volume (MPV; p = 0.01), red cell distribution width (RDW; p = 0.015), NLR (p = 0.03), and dNLR (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and PLR.ConclusionResults suggest that MPV, RDW, NLR and dNLR may be disease biomarkers in NAION. Larger scale studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Effects of citrate ester plasticizers and bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in the OECD 28-day repeated-dose toxicity test (OECD TG 407)

Citrate esters are considered functional alternatives to phthalate plasticizers, but their toxicity remains poorly understood. The toxicity of citrate esters, including triethyl 2-acetylcitrate (ATEC) and trihexyl O-acetylcitrate (ATHC), were examined together with that of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Test Guideline 407 (OECD TG407). Following 28-day oral administration, no significant differences in body weight or the weight of the brain, pituitary, heart, epididymis, seminal vesicles, or coagulating gland were found between the vehicle control and DEHP, ATEC or ATHC groups. In the 400 mg/kg day DEHP group, liver, adrenal, thymus, spleen, kidney, testis, and prostate weights were significantly increased. In the 400 mg/kg day ATHC group, kidney, adrenal, thymus, testis and prostate weights were significantly increased. In the 400 mg/kg day ATEC group, kidney, adrenal and testis weights were significantly increased. Hepatocyte size was significantly increased in the 400 mg/kg day DEHP group, suggestive of hepatotoxicity, but was not increased in the ATEC or ATHC groups. There were no significant differences in white blood cell, red blood cell or platelet counts, hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, fasting glucose, insulin, or testosterone concentrations between the vehicle control and DEHP, ATEC and ATHC groups. In the ATHC 400 mg/kg day group, T3 was decreased while T4 was increased, suggestive of disruption of thyroid function. The results of the OECD TG407 subacute repeated dosing toxicity test indicate ATEC is less toxic compared to ATHC or DEHP and could be recommended as an alternative to phthalate plasticizers.

Health Risks Associated with Occupational Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution in Commercial Drivers: A Systematic Review.

Ambient air pollution is a major global health problem and commercial drivers are particularly exposed to it. As no systematic assessment of the health risks associated with occupational exposure to ambient air pollution in this population had yet been carried out, we conducted a systematic review using a protocol-driven strategy. Papers published from inception to April 20, 2018 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, African journals online, the Cochrane library, ISRCTN WHO ICTRP, and the Web of Science and Scopus databases were screened for inclusion by two independent reviewers. Original articles with at least an available abstract in English or French were included. The initial search retrieved 1454 published articles of which 20 articles were included. Three studies reported a significant difference in white blood cells (106/L) among commercial motorcyclists compared to rural inhabitants (5.041 ± 1.209 vs. 5.900 ± 1.213, p = 0.001), an increased risk of lung cancer (RR = 1.6, 95%CI 1.5–1.8) in bus drivers and an increased standardized mortality ratio (SMR) in bus drivers from Hodgkin’s lymphoma (SMR 2.17, 95%CI 1.19–3.87) compared to white-collar workers. Other studies also found that drivers had more oxidative DNA damage and chromosome breaks. Four papers failed to demonstrate that the drivers were more exposed to air pollution than the controls. Three other studies also reported no significant difference in lung function parameters and respiratory symptoms. The genetic polymorphisms of detoxifying enzymes were also not homogeneously distributed compared to the controls. There is some evidence that occupational exposure to ambient air pollution among commercial drivers is associated with adverse health outcomes, but the existing literature is limited, with few studies on small sample size, methodological weaknesses, and contradictory findings—thus, further research is recommended.

Potential Clinical Risk of Inflammation and Toxicity from Rare-Earth Nanoparticles in Mice.

Background:Nanotechnology is emerging as a promising tool to perform noninvasive therapy and optical imaging. However, nanomedicine may pose a potential risk of toxicity during in vivo applications. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential toxicity of rare-earth nanoparticles (RENPs) using mice as models.Methods:We synthesized RENPs through a typical co-precipitation method. Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were randomly divided into seven groups including a control group and six experimental groups (10 mice per group). ICR mice were intravenously injected with bare RENPs at a daily dose of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg for 7 days. To evaluate the toxicity of these nanoparticles in mice, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to assess their uptake in mice. In addition, hematological and biochemical analyses were conducted to evaluate any impairment in the organ functions of ICR mice. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a one-way ANOVA test was used in this study. A repeated measures' analysis was used to determine any significant differences in white blood cell (WBC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine (CREA) levels at different evaluation times in each group.Results:We demonstrated the successful synthesis of two different sizes (10 nm and 100 nm) of RENPs. Their physical properties were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and a 980 nm laser diode. Results of MRI study revealed the distribution and circulation of the RENPs in the liver. In addition, the hematological analysis found an increase of WBCs to (8.69 ± 0.85) × 109/L at the 28th day, which is indicative of inflammation in the mouse treated with 1.5 mg/kg NaYbF4:Er nanoparticles. Furthermore, the biochemical analysis indicated increased levels of ALT ([64.20 ± 15.50] U/L) and CREA ([27.80 ± 3.56] μmol/L) at the 28th day, particularly those injected with 1.5 mg/kg NaYbF4:Er nanoparticles. These results suggested the physiological and pathological damage caused by these nanoparticles to the organs and tissues of mice, especially to liver and kidney.Conclusion:The use of bare RENPs may cause possible hepatotoxicity and nephritictoxicity in mice.

Comparison of white blood cells parameters in patients with acute schizophrenia, unipolar depression and bipolar disorder

Aim of the studyWe compared white blood cells parameters (total white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes count (LYMPH#) and percentage (LYMPH%), monocytes count (MONO) and percentage (MONO%), basophils count (BASO#) and percentage (BASO%), eosinophils count (EO#) and percentage (EO%), neutrophils count (NEUT#) and percentage (NEUT%)) in patients with schizophrenia (SHZ), unipolar depression (UD) and bipolar disorder (BIP): bipolar depression (BD) and mania (BM).Subject or material and methodsThis was a retrospective, cross-sectional, naturalistic study of 2381 patients (SHZ n=1244; UD n=794; BIP n=343, BD n=259, BM n=84). WBC as well as differential leukocytes count were measured using automated hematology analyzer.ResultsThere were significant differences between study groups (WBC, p=0.02; LYMPH# p=0.03; LYMPH% p=0.008; EO% p &lt;0.001). Age and sex affected various white blood cells parameters.DiscussionHighest WBC was in the schizophrenia and bipolar mania groups, while patients with BM had lowest LYMPH%. Highest frequency of below or above normal WBC was found in patients with BM.ConclusionsThere are differences in white blood cells between study groups.