Stress among health care providers in NICU department, tertiary pediatric care hospital during COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.

Background: Many of the pediatric health care workers (HCWs) suffered from sleep disturbance, anxiety, and potential stress disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Work-related stress is a potential cause of concern in HCWs and is associated with decreased job satisfaction, anxiety, depression, medical errors, and near misses. This study aims to investigate the various psychological consequences on medical personnel working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design and methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on a convenient sample of doctors and nurses working in NICU in pediatric hospitals at Cairo University teaching hospitals, Egypt. Two anonymous self-administered validated questionnaires were used to assess the level of stress, and the COVID-19 Rapid Quantitative Assessment Tool to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception about COVID-19. Results: Among 96 participants, 66.7% were nurses, and 33.3% were physicians, 79.2% of the participants showed a reasonably safe level of stress. The mean work stress score was 43.89 ± 5.77. The mean score for commonly experienced stress symptoms was 7.53 ± 4.54, median 7, IQR (4, 10). Females and physicians were found to be with a statistically significantly higher median score of commonly experienced stress symptoms than males (p-value < 0.001 and 0.028 simultaneously). Conclusion: While such descriptive research provides valuable information on the scope of the problem, a strong theoretical framework is required to interpret these findings appropriately and develop preventive and therapeutic strategies. Particular attention should be warranted to the mental health well-being of women treating patients with COVID-19.

Relation between Maternal and Neonatal Serum Lipid Profile and Their Impact on Birth Weight.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal malnutrition with disturbed lipid metabolism during pregnancy may affect the fetal lipid profile. We aimed to detect the relation between maternal and neonatal serum lipid profile, as well as to detect the serum lipid profile difference between small for gestational age (SGA) infants and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants to disclose the impact of maternal malnutrition on birth weight. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 pregnant women coming to the labor room. Before delivery, maternal serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TGs), and total cholesterol were assessed, then after delivery, cord blood samples were taken for assessment of the neonatal lipid profile. Birth weights were measured, then the neonates were divided into SGA and AGA groups. RESULTS: Serum levels of LDL, TGs, and total cholesterol in the SGA infants were lower than that in the AGA infants. A positive correlation between maternal and neonatal serum TGs levels was found. Besides, there was a positive correlation between birth weight and maternal serum levels of LDL, TGs, and total cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Maternal serum lipid profile could be an indicator of the neonatal serum lipid profile and birth weight. KEY POINTS: · SGA neonates have lower levels of serum lipids compared to AGA neonates.. · There is a positive correlation between maternal and neonatal triglycerides.. · There is a positive correlation between birth weight and maternal serum lipids..

Micro-RNA 196a2 expression and miR-196a2 (rs11614913) polymorphism in T1DM: a pilot study.

Background Recent emerging evidence supports the role of miR-196a2 in various human diseases. However, its role in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is still underestimated. We aimed, for the first time, to investigate the expression of miR-196a2 in T1DM and the association of miR-196a2 (rs11614913) polymorphism with susceptibility of T1DM in a sample of patients from Cairo, Egypt. Methods The study included 150 patients and 150 healthy subjects. Evaluation of rs11614913 genotypes and miR-196a2 expression was done using the allelic discrimination and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, respectively. Results The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium of single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) was detected among controls (p = 0.2). Our results revealed that the TT genotype was more frequent in patients (22.6%) than controls (10%) while the CC genotype was more frequent in controls (47.3%) than patients (39.3%) (p = 0.01). The frequency of the T allele was significantly higher in patients than in controls (41.7 vs. 31.3%), while the C allele was more frequent in controls (p = 0.008). After adjustment for traditional risk factors, the association of the TT genotype with T1DM remained significant (TT vs. CC, odds ration [OR] = 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-7.4, p = 0.005). Power analysis of the data yielded a statistical power of 80% for the miR-196a2 rs11614913 with T1DM. Relative expression of miR-196a2 showed significant decrease in patients compared to controls (median = 0.09, 0.5, interquartile range [IQR] = 0.03-1.6, 0.1-2.1). However, miR-196a2 expression showed no significant difference between different rs11614913 genotypes (p = 0.5). Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that miR-196a rs11614913 is associated with T1DM and decreased expression of miR-196a2 may play a role in pathogenesis of T1DM.

Serum adipokines and vitamin D levels in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: Adiponectin, leptin and resistin are adipokines that play important roles in the regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, their influence in type 1 diabetes mellitus is still unknown. The aim of this study was to measure serum adiponectin, leptin and resistin levels and to investigate their relationships with vitamin D and other clinical and laboratory parameters in patients with type 1 diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty subjects with type 1 diabetes and 50 healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were selected from the Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic of Cairo University Pediatrics Hospital. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Vitamin D levels were measured using electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in adiponectin and leptin levels between diabetic and control subjects (p = 0.6 and p = 0.5 respectively). Resistin levels were significantly higher in the diabetic group compared to controls (p < 0.001) and in postpubertal patients compared to prepubertal patients (p < 0.04). Serum resistin in type 1 diabetes showed a negative correlation with vitamin D (p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p = 0.006), while other adipokines were not interrelated. CONCLUSIONS: These results strongly support a role of resistin and vitamin D deficiency in the pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes. Vitamin D may be involved in resistin regulation through an unknown mechanism. Further studies are recommended to understand resistin regulation in type 1 diabetes.