Assessment of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 in Acute Kidney Injury in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Study in Northeast Iran from 2019 to 2020

Background: Drugs cause approximately 20%-40% of acute kidney injuries (AKI). Amikacin (AMK) is one of the common medications used as empiric therapy for severe infections, such as sepsis in neonates. One of the newly recommended biomarkers in AKI is Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1). In this study, we evaluated the use of KIM-1 for diagnosing tubular injury in neonates treated with Amikacin in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of our educational hospital in Gorgan, Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the NICU of the two educational hospitals affiliated to the Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. There were two groups of patients, namely neonates treated with Amikacin plus Ampicillin (group A; n=45) and neonates treated with Ampicillin plus Cefotaxime (group B; n=45). Demographic characteristics were recorded. Blood and urine samples were collected in both groups. The urinary secretion of KIM-1 was determined using an ELISA kit.Results: The total number of patients in both groups was 45, 26 (57.8%) of whom were male, and 19 (42.2%) cases were female. The mean age was obtained at 5.25±1.47 days in group A and 5.15±1.5 days in group B. None of our patients had AKI. There was no difference between leukocyte count and platelets on the first and seventh day. There was a significant difference among K, Na, urine specific gravity, C-reactive protein, Cr, and BUN on the seventh day, compared to the first day. The difference between urinary levels of KIM-1 in the two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusion: We have not found a significant relationship between urinary KIM-1 and AKI in our patients

Global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Funding: F Carvalho and E Fernandes acknowledge support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy i4HB; FCT/MCTES through the project UIDB/50006/2020. J Conde acknowledges the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-StG-2019-848325). V M Costa acknowledges the grant SFRH/BHD/110001/2015, received by Portuguese national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), IP, under the Norma Transitória DL57/2016/CP1334/CT0006.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

Predicting children\'s affective temperament indices according to parental affective temperament: An intergenerational study

Intergenerational transmission is referred to transmission of behaviors, characteristics, and/or tendencies from one generation to the other. In this process, parents of one generation tend to repeat some of their psychological characteristics in their offsprings. The aim of the current study was to predict children’s affective temperament indices based on parental affective temperament characteristics. A total of 207 university students (146 females, 56 males, 5 anonymous) and their parents (207 Fathers, 207 mothers) in Tehran have been collected using convenience sampling method. Participants were asked to complete Positive and Negative Emotionality Scale (PNES). Method of the present descriptive study was correlational. Analysis of the data involved both descriptive and inferential statistics including means, standard deviations, correlation, and mixed model. The results showed a significant correlation between parental and children's affective temperament indices (p<0.001). The results of mixed model revealed that parental affective temperament characteristics had the ability to predict children's affective temperament indices implying intergenerational transmission of positive and negative emotionality from parents to children (p<0.001). Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that affective temperament characteristics can be transmitted from one generation to the other. Recognition of the intergenerational mechanisms not only predicts affective temperament characteristics of the next generation but also can prevent damaging features to be transmitted. It can be done by improving healthy characteristics performing educational-interventional programs

Glomerular Filtration Rate Changes in Neonates with Sepsis Treated with Amikacin and Cefotaxime

Background and purpose: Aminoglycosides (AG) such as Amikacin that are widely used to prevent and treat infections in neonates have nephrotoxic effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of urinary index to Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in diagnosis of tubular renal injury following administration of Amikacin in neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Materials and methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 45 neonates admitted to NICU with confirmed sepsis undergone treatment with Amikacin and Ampicillin and 45 neonates were treated with Ampicillin and Cefotaxime. GFR was calculated using Schwartz's formula (serum creatinine/height * 0.45) and categorized based on Fanaroff table. In both groups, BUN, Cr, and GFR were measured at days one and seven. Data analysis was performed in SPSS. Results: Two (4.4%) patients in the group treated with Amikacin and Ampicillin and one (2.2%) in the group who received Ampicillin and Cefotaxime developed acute kidney injury (AKI). GFR changes and Cr levels at day seven were not found to be significantly different between septic neonates treated with Amikacin and Ampicillin and neonates treated with other non-aminoglycosidic antibiotics (P>0.05). Conclusion: There was no difference in incidence of AKI between neonates receiving Amikacin and Ampicillin and those who received Ampicillin and Cefotaxime. Hence, AKI in these neonates requires further evaluations

Evaluation of Some Plasma Coagulation Factors in Women with Spontaneous Miscarriage

Background: It has been reported that 15-20% of parous female have experienced at least one miscarriage, while 3% of them have experienced two miscarriages. The goal of this study was to evaluate the plasma level of coagulation factors in women with a history of spontaneous abortions. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 82 women with a history of two or more abortions referred to the six private gynecologic clinics in Gorgan city without any structural abnormality were recruited during 2011-2012. Plasma levels of antithrombin III (ATIII) using colorimetric assay, protein C, protein S, factor V Leiden and lupus anticoagulant (LAC) using coagulation method were measured. The control group was women with a history of normal delivery and no abortions. Those under anti-coagulant therapy were excluded from the study. Data were entered into the computer using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 16 and analyzed by Chi-square, t test and non-parametric tests. Results: At least one abnormality was reported in 35 cases (42.7%). Among them, protein C deficiency was the most prevalent (30.5%). ATIII was abnormal in 17.1% and lupus anti-coagulant was abnormal in 8.5%. Factor V Leiden was normal in all cases and protein S deficiency was only seen in one case. Conclusion: We suggest to perform these tests in regards to the thrombophilia in cases with spontaneous abortions in order to find an early cure for this treatable disorder

Changes in heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with severe and moderate obstructive sleep apnea before and after acute CPAP therapy during nocturnal polysomnography

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation is the standard treatment of this disease, and it can reduce mortality in patients. Dysfunction of the autonomic system is one of the reasons for an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in these patients. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on heart rate variability (HRV) indices. Methods: The study population was comprised of 55 patients, who underwent nocturnal polysomnography for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and PAP titration on the same night. The levels of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure were adjusted to relieve obstructive sleep apnea, hypopnea, and desaturation. The patients’ heart changes and cardiac characteristics were recorded before and after the start of routine CPAP therapy. Finally, the cases’ sleep and polysomnography tests were analyzed and interpreted in collaboration with a sleep specialist and their cardiac changes with the aid of a cardiologist before and after treatment with CPAP. Results: The participants were 55 patients at a mean age of 57.04±12.9 years. There were 34 (61.8%) male and 21 (38.2%) female cases. PAP therapy on the same night resulted in a decreased standard deviation of the N-N interval index (p=0.036) and a low-frequency index (p=0.021), as well as increased high-frequency index (p<0.001) and low frequency / high frequency ratios (p=0.008). Conclusion: Our findings indicate a relative improvement in the activity of the autonomic system in patients with obstructive sleep apnea after 1 night of PAP therapy. Overwhelming evidence suggests that improvement in the sympathetic balance can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients