Evaluation of serum ferritin and some metal elements in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: comparative cross-sectional study

Amare Desalegn Wolide,1 Belay Zawdie,2 Tilahun Alemayehu,3 Samuel Tadesse1 1Department of Medical Physiology, 2Department of Medical Biochemistry, 3Department of Human Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia Background: The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes has been associated with an imbalance of some trace metal elements in the blood sample of type 2 diabetes patients. Aim: To evaluate the status of serum ferritin and some selected metal elements among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Methods: Facility-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from February 15, 2015 to October 30, 2015, at Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. A total of 428 type 2 diabetes and nondiabetes study subjects were recruited to the study. After overnight fasting, 10 mL of venous blood samples were taken for biochemical and trace metal element analysis. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for Windows for analysis. Results: Serum concentration of Zn+2, Mg+2, Cr+3, ferritin, and Fe+3 in patients with type 2 diabetes was significantly lower (p<0.0001) than nondiabetes patients. In contrast, serum Cu+2 was significantly higher (p<0.0001) in type 2 diabetes patients than nondiabetics. In addition, significant differences were not seen in both groups with regard to serum Mn+2, Ca+2, and Po4−3. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), serum Fe+3, ferritin, and Mn+2 were significantly higher among oral hypoglycemic agent users of type 2 diabetes patients than the injectable insulin users. Serum Zn+2 had significant positive correlation with serum Mg+2 (r=0.738), Cr+3 (r=0.233), Ca+2 (r=0.238), and Po4−3 (r=0.222). In addition, serum Zn+2 had shown significant and negative correlation with body mass index (BMI, r=−0.331), WHR (r=−0.340), and fasting blood glucose (FBG, r=−0.186). Likewise, serum Mg+2 and Po4−3 are significantly and negatively correlated with BMI, WHR, and FBG. Conclusion: The imbalance of trace metal elements in the blood sample of diabetes is uncertain. Thus, we recommend a prospective cohort study to find out the principal factors behind the problem. Keywords: diabetes, ferritin, trace metal elements, hyperglycemia, insulin, meta

Do Health Sciences Students Have the Appropriate Knowledge and Attitude to Advance Organ Donation in Ethiopia? Cross-Sectional Study

Amare Desalegn Wolide,1 Kabaye Kumela Goro,2 Fantu Kerga Dibaba,2 Serkadis Debalke,2 Meskerem Seboka,3 Birtukan Edilu Tufa,2 Fanta Gashe Fufa,2 Eshetu Mulisa Bobasa2 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Jimma University, Jimma, 378, Ethiopia; 2Faculty of Health Sciences Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; 3Institute of Public Health, Jimma University, Jimma 378, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Amare Desalegn WolideJimma University, Jimma 378, EthiopiaTel +251 932445922Email [email protected]: Donated organs and tissues are necessary for transplantation to treat irreparable organ failure. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate health science students’ toward organ donation at Jimma University.Methods: The study was conducted in Jimma University, College of Health Sciences from February 1, 2018 to April 25, 2018, Gregorian calendar. Data was entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. A descriptive and generalized linear model was applied to present the results.Results: The overall knowledge and attitude scores of the students were 3.844 (2.98, 4.712) and 6.3914 (5.93, 6.85) respectively. The results showed that students had good knowledge of and a positive attitude toward organ donation. Male students had a higher mean knowledge score than female students, however, the difference was not significant. Dental medicine and medicine students had a higher mean knowledge score than any other health science students in the faculty. Students showed knowledge difference yearly. A significant number of students 290 (73.4%) and 313 (79.2%) knew the importance of live and cadaveric organ donation to treat permanently failed organs, respectively. Also, about 238 (60.3%) students had the awareness of disease transmission and 358 (90.6%) of them knew the involvement of tissue rejection when inappropriate organ transplantation is done to the recipients. Furthermore, likewise, more than half of the students expressed positive beliefs toward the different questions of organ donation-ethics, religion, and willingness for organ donation.Conclusion: Students showed good knowledge and a positive attitude toward organ donation and this should be translated to the public to increase the rate of organ donations.Keywords: organ donation, knowledge, attitude, Jimma Universit