Energy expenditure related biomarkers following bariatric surgery: a prospective six-month cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondria dysfunction is one of the major causes of insulin resistance, and other countless complications of obesity. PGC-1α, and UCP-2 play key roles in energy expenditure regulation in the mitochondrial thermogenesis. However, the effects of bariatric surgery on the level of PGC-1α and UCP-2 and their relationships are unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on key pathways in energy, and to assess the potential predictive role of body composition and metabolic parameters in this regard. SETTINGS: Hazrat-e Rasool General Hospital, Center of Excellence of International Federation for Surgery of Obesity. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was carried out on 45 patients with morbid obesity who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The patients have evaluated three-time points at baseline, three, and six months after the surgery. Body composition components, the levels of PGC-1α, UCP-2, and metabolic parameters were measured three times during this study. RESULTS: Significant changes in TWL%, EBMIL%, and metabolic lab tests were observed at three- and six months post-surgery (P < 0.001). The PGC-1α and UCP-2 had a significant increase three and then six-month post-operation compared with the baseline (P < 0.001). Moreover, multivariate linear regression analysis identified that the changing trend of PGC-1α was associated with insulin, uric Acid, HOMA-IR, fat mass and trunk fat mass. UCP-2 was associated with TSH, AST, fat mass and FFM. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery has been shown to have a positive effect on UCP-2 and PGC-1α levels, as well as body composition and metabolic parameters. As a result, it is believed that bariatric surgery could improve thermogenesis and energy expenditure by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and function. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the precise mechanisms and possible causal relationship.

Nerve conduction assessment and magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of localized hypertrophic neuropathy of the sciatic nerve and the lumbo-sacral plexus.

Localized hypertrophic neuropathy (LHN) are slowly growing nerve lesions causing progressive nerve deficit and weakness. We present the case of a 32-year old woman with long history of motor and sensory deficit complains along the sciatic nerve territory. The muscles involved were featured by delay in F waves at nerve conduction assessment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed specific patterns, low intense on T1 and abnormally hyper intense on short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and T2, with no obvious enhancement, features compatible with either LHN or intraneural perineurioma (IP) of the sciatic nerve and/or the lumbosacral plexus. Focal thickening and hypertrophy of the sciatic nerve with preserved fascicular configuration and progressive enlargement of the right lumbosacral plexus could be noted. A nerve conduction assessment followed by an MRI eventually allowed to diagnose LHN, without performing a nerve biopsy. Although similar, LHN and IP are two distinct lesions which should be diagnosed and differentiated as soon as possible, to avoid potential complications due to delayed diagnosis and/or misdiagnosis.

Assessment of Short-term, Within Hospital Cardiovascular Complications After Renal Transplantation in Baqiyatallah Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have looked at cardiac complications in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) after renal transplantation, but more attention has been paid to the long-term cardiovascular complications. AIM: The present study was designed to investigate the short-term cardiovascular complications of intrahospital hospitalization in post-renal transplant patients and related factors. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the medical records of all renal transplant patients in Baqiyatallah Hospital between 2015 and 2018 during the post-transplantation phase were investigated. Demographic data, transplantation type, cardiac risk factors, pre-operation cardiac consultation and para-clinical tests results were extracted from the patients' records. The frequency and factors influencing the need for re-visitation as well as its final diagnosis were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 982 patients with a mean age of 13.73 ± 45.33 years were studied (62.6% males). In 39.8% of patients, cardiology re-visitation was required; of these 391 visits, only 162 patients (41.4%) had heart problems. In multivariate analysis, patients' need for cardiac reconsideration was predicted by 7 variables; age, diabetes, history of CABG, ECG, echocardiography, angiography, and myocardial perfusion scan (R2 = 0.652, P <0.001). Furthermore, the five variables of first cardiology consultant, the first consultation physician, left ventricular hypertrophy, having history of angiography and myocardial perfusion scan, can predict the final diagnosis of cardiac problems in re-counseling (R2 = 0.188, P = 0.043). CONCLUSION: Given the high prevalence of need for a patient's recurrent cardiac visit, it seems that risk assessment prior to kidney transplantation needs to be more accurate. It is recommended that elderly patients with abnormal findings in electrocardiography and echocardiography, having diabetes, having a history of negative coronary angiography or myocardial perfusion scan be more closely monitored for heart disease.