Palmar xanthomas

A middle-aged woman presented with a history of asymptomatic lesions over the palms, which were progressively increasing in number. Examination revealed 2-mm sized yellowish papules over the palmar surface of fingers. A clinical diagnosis of palmar xanthomas was made. Fasting lipids indicated elevations consistent with dysbetalipidemia, confirming the diagnosis. We recommend that the thyroid stimulating hormone level and serum electrophoresis should be done as part of the work-up for this rare condition

Associations between maternal and infant morbidities and sRAGE within the first week of life in extremely preterm infants.

Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) has been associated with multiple inflammatory responses including maternal chorioamnionitis and preeclampsia. Analysis of umbilical cord blood levels have also indicated that sRAGE levels in the infant are affected by maternal inflammation. S100b is a ligand for RAGE and increases in circulating S100b levels are associated with poor neurological outcome in preterm infants. The objective of this study was to determine whether sRAGE or s100b levels in plasma samples from extremely preterm infants at the end of the first week of life were correlated with infant morbidities and whether sRAGE and s100b levels at this time point were still associated with maternal inflammation.Plasma samples were collected from 130 preterm infants (≤28 weeks) at days of life 5, 6, or 7. sRAGE and s100b levels were measured by ELISA and data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation or Generalized Estimating Equations.sRAGE was negatively correlated with development of sepsis (p=0.024), the FiO2 requirement of the infant at the time of sampling (p=0.030), as well as maternal preeclampsia (p=0.046), and positively correlated with maternal chorioamnionitis (p=0.006). s100b levels were positively associated with maternal chorioamnionitis (p=0.039). No correlations were observed with other infant morbidities.These data indicate that sRAGE could potentially be a biomarker of early severe inflammatory responses in the preterm infant. However, more studies are needed to confirm the present findings

sRAGE levels were measured in infant plasma taken between 5-7 days of life.

<p>Data were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation. sRAGE content negatively correlated with the FiO₂ the infant was receiving at the time of sampling (r=-0.254, p=0.0038). </p

"Someone like us": delivering maternal mental health through peers in two South Asian contexts.

BACKGROUND: Peer-led psychosocial interventions are one solution to address the great paucity of skilled mental health human resources in South Asia. The aim of this study was to explore peer-delivered care for maternal depression in two diverse contexts in South Asia. METHODS: The study was carried out in the urban setting of Goa, India and rural setting in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. In total, 61 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and 3 focus group discussions (FGDs), and 38 IDIs and 10 FGDs, were conducted with multiple stakeholders in urban Goa and rural Rawalpindi respectively. We used the framework approach to analyze data. RESULTS: Peers from the same community were the most preferred delivery agents of a community-based psychosocial intervention in both sites. There were contextual similarities and differences between the two sites. Preferred characteristics among peers included local, middle-aged, educated mothers with similar experiences to participants, good communication skills and a good character. Key differences between the two contexts included a greater emphasis on the peer׳s family social standing in rural Rawalpindi and financial incentives as motivators for individual peers in urban Goa. LIMITATIONS: Generalizability of our findings is limited to two specific contexts in a vast and diverse region. DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates that peers have the potential to deliver maternal psychosocial interventions in low-income settings. There are contextual differences in the preferred characteristics and motivators between the sites, and these should be carefully considered in program implementation