Neurologic complications of sickle cell disease in Africa A systematic review and meta-analysis

To summarize prevalence data on the neurologic complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) in Africa

Tea and coffee consumption in relation to vitamin D and calcium levels in Saudi adolescents

Background Coffee and tea consumption was hypothesized to interact with variants of vitamin D-receptor polymorphisms, but limited evidence exists. Here we determine for the first time whether increased coffee and tea consumption affects circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a cohort of Saudi adolescents. Methods A total of 330 randomly selected Saudi adolescents were included. Anthropometrics were recorded and fasting blood samples were analyzed for routine analysis of fasting glucose, lipid levels, calcium, albumin and phosphorous. Frequency of coffee and tea intake was noted. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results Improved lipid profiles were observed in both boys and girls, as demonstrated by increased levels of HDL-cholesterol, even after controlling for age and BMI, among those consuming 9–12 cups of coffee/week. Vitamin D levels were significantly highest among those consuming 9–12 cups of tea/week in all subjects (p-value 0.009) independent of age, gender, BMI, physical activity and sun exposure. Conclusion This study suggests a link between tea consumption and vitamin D levels in a cohort of Saudi adolescents, independent of age, BMI, gender, physical activity and sun exposure. These findings should be confirmed prospectively

Improved functionalization of oleic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can providemultiple benefits for biomedical applications in aqueous environments such asmagnetic separation or magnetic resonance imaging. To increase the colloidal stability and allow subsequent reactions, the introduction of hydrophilic functional groups onto the particles’ surface is essential. During this process, the original coating is exchanged by preferably covalently bonded ligands such as trialkoxysilanes. The duration of the silane exchange reaction, which commonly takes more than 24 h, is an important drawback for this approach. In this paper, we present a novel method, which introduces ultrasonication as an energy source to dramatically accelerate this process, resulting in high-quality waterdispersible nanoparticles around 10 nmin size. To prove the generic character, different functional groups were introduced on the surface including polyethylene glycol chains, carboxylic acid, amine, and thiol groups. Their colloidal stability in various aqueous buffer solutions as well as human plasma and serum was investigated to allow implementation in biomedical and sensing applications.status: publishe

145-LB: Glycemic Control Is Not an Independent Predictor of Mortality or Length of Stay for Patients Hospitalized with Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important prognostic factor for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). However, studies of hospital glycemic control and outcomes controlled for factors that affect morbidity and mortality in pneumonia (PNA) are limited. We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients ≥ 18 years (N=108) admitted to either the ICU or noncritical units January 1, 2020 to September 29, 2020 with a clinical diagnosis or radiographic evidence of PNA, laboratory confirmation of COVID-19, and DM or newly diagnosed hyperglycemia, defined as admission plasma glucose &amp;gt; 126 mg/dL or one or more random plasma glucose measurements &amp;gt; 200 mg/dL. Co-primary endpoints were mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS), and total hospital LOS stratified by mean capillary blood glucose (CBG) for hospitalization. Endpoints were compared by logistic, linear, or Poisson regressions controlling for demographic variables, prehospital HbA1c, residence, pneumonia severity index score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (ICU patients), pulmonary consultation, infectious diseases consultation, and study site. Patients treated with dexamethasone (N=42) were evaluated separately from untreated patients. There was no difference in mortality for patients with mean hospital CBG &amp;lt; 180 mg/dL (30.1%) or ≥ 180 mg/dL (20.0%, P=0.24). Median total hospital LOS was 8 (5-15) and 8 (6-16) days for patients with mean CBG &amp;lt; 180 mg/dL or ≥ 180 mg/dL, respectively (P=0.35), and there was no difference in ICU LOS by glycemic status (P=0.19). No measures of glycemic control were independent predictors of mortality or LOS in multivariable regression analyses, and results were unaffected by dexamethasone treatment status. In this study controlling for multiple validated PNA prognostic factors, hospital glycemic control did not have a significant effect on mortality or LOS for patients with DM or newly diagnosed hyperglycemia hospitalized with COVID-19. Disclosure M. G. Jakoby: None. V. Williams: None. S. Ward: None. S. K. Lee: None. M. Buhnerkempe: None. K. Izuora: None. </jats:sec

Longitudinal Three-Year Associations of Dietary Fruit and Vegetable Intake with Serum hs-C-Reactive Protein in Adults with and without Type 1 Diabetes

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a widely used clinical biomarker of systemic inflammation, implicated in many chronic conditions, including type 1 diabetes (T1D). Despite the increasing emphasis on dietary intake as a modifiable risk factor for systemic inflammation, the association of hs-CRP with fruit and vegetable consumption is relatively underexplored in T1D. To address this gap, we investigated the longitudinal associations of dietary pattern-derived fruit and vegetable scores with hs-CRP in adults with and without T1D. Additionally, we examined the impact of berry consumption as a distinct food group. Data were collected in the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 Diabetes study over two visits that were three years apart. At each visit, participants completed a food frequency questionnaire, and hs-CRP was measured using a particle-enhanced immunonephelometric assay. Mixed effect models were used to examine the three-year association of fruit and vegetable scores with hs-CRP. Adjusted models found a significant inverse association between blueberry intake and hs-CRP in the nondiabetic (non-DM) group. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension- and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-derived vegetable scores were also inversely associated with hs-CRP in the non-DM group (all p-values &le; 0.05). Conversely, no significant associations were observed in the T1D group. In conclusion, dietary pattern-derived vegetable scores are inversely associated with hs-CRP in non-DM adults. Nonetheless, in T1D, chronic hyperglycemia and related metabolic abnormalities may override the cardioprotective features of these food groups at habitually consumed servings