Prevalence and associated factors of metabolic syndrome among pregnant Ethiopian women: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) poses a significant public health challenge globally, including in Ethiopia, with risks for both mothers and children. Unfortunately, there is limited data on MetS in pregnant Ethiopian women. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with MetS in this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire adapted from the World Health Organization Steps Survey Tool for Non-communicable Diseases. About five ml of fasting peripheral blood samples were collected from each participant. The Beckman Coulter DXC 700 AU clinical chemistry analyzer was employed for lipid profile and glucose analysis. Subsequently, data were inputted into Epi Data and later exported to SPSS Version 20 for further analysis. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were carried out, with a predefined level of statistical significance at p < 0.05. A total of 318 pregnant women were included in this study. The prevalence of MetS was 13.2% (95% CI: 9.7, 17.0) based on the American Heart Association/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute definition. The most prevalent components of MetS were elevated triglyceride levels, reduced high-density lipoprotein levels, and elevated blood pressure. Unhealthy sleep duration (AOR = 5.6, 95% CI (2.4, 13.1), p < 0.001), high daily salt intake (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI (1.8, 9.5), p = 0.001), and alcohol consumption [AOR = 4.2, 95% CI (1.6, 10.9), p = 0.003] were significantly associated with MetS. The study reported a high prevalence of MetS in pregnant Ethiopian women. Factors including alcohol, high salt intake, and sleep disturbances were associated with MetS. Policymakers might utilize this data to create targeted interventions and public health policies for MetS among pregnant women, focusing on nutrition, sleep, and alcohol consumption during pregnancy to safeguard maternal and fetal health.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites and Helicobacter pylori coinfection, and contributing factors among patients with gastrointestinal manifestations at Addis Zemen primary hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The urease-producing Helicobacter pylori increase the likelihood that pathogenic intestinal protozoa will use the stomach's increased hydrogen potential to propagate the disease. Coinfections exacerbate the onset and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites/Helicobacter pylori coinfection and contributing factors in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms at Addis Zemen Primary Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: From April to July 2023, patients with gastrointestinal problems participated in a cross-sectional study carried out in a hospital. To collect the clinical and sociodemographic data, a questionnaire was employed. Intestinal parasites and Helicobacter pylori were detected using the saline stool wet mount and Helicobacter pylori stool antigen tests, respectively. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data and variables with p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULT: The study included 384 participants in total, of which 47.3% (182/384) were farmers and 50.3% (193/384) were women. Of the study subjects, 69/384 or approximately 18%, had intestinal parasitic infections. In 12% of cases (46/384), Helicobacter pylori were detected. A coinfection of Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasites was found in 5.5% (21/384) of the subjects. Multiple logistic regression revealed increased risk of coinfection of Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasites in patients who drink surface water (AOR: 10.7, p = 0.03) family history of Helicobacter pylori (AOR: 3.3, p = 0.024) and those with untrimmed fingers (AOR: 4.9, p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/ moshkovskii/ bangladeshi complex are the most common protozoans that cause coinfection with Helicobacter pylori. Drinking surface water, family history of Helicobacter pylori and untrimmed fingers are the contributing factors to intestinal parasites/Helicobacter pylori coinfection.

Long non-coding RNA as potential diagnostic markers for acute myeloid leukemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is aggressive type of hematological malignancy. Its poses challenges in early diagnosis, necessitating the identification of an effective biomarker. This study aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) in the diagnosis of AML through a meta-analysis. The study is registered on the PROSPERO website with the number 493518. METHOD: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Hinari, and the Scopus databases to identify relevant studies. We pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the summary receiver operating characteristics (ROC) using Stata 14.1 software. Heterogeneity between studies was determined through the I2 statistic and Cochran-Q test. A random effect model was chosen due to significant heterogeneity among included studies. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed to assess the potential source of heterogeneity. Furthermore, potential publication bias was estimated using Deek's funnel plot asymmetry test. RESULTS: A total of 14 articles covering 19 studies were included in this meta-analysis comprising 1588 AML patients and 529 healthy participants. The overall pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR, and the area under the summary ROC curve were 0.85 (95% CI = 0.78-0.91), 0.82 (95% CI = 0.72-0.89), 4.7 (95% CI = 2.9-7.4), 0.18 (95% CI = 0.12-0.28), 26 (95% CI = 12-53), and 0.90 (95% CI = 0.87-0.93), respectively. Moreover, lncRNAs from non-bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) had superior diagnostic value with pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.93, 0.82, and 0.95, respectively. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that circulating lncRNAs can serve as potential diagnostic markers for AML. High accuracy of diagnosis was observed in non-BMMC lncRNAs, given cutoff value, and the GADPH internal reference gene used. However, further studies with large sample size are required to confirm our results.

Assessment of Electrolyte Imbalance and Associated Factors Among Adult Diabetic Patients Attending the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Electrolyte imbalance refers to altered electrolyte levels that predominantly affect diabetic patients due to hyperglycemia which rise plasma osmolality and impaired renal function, contributing to a change in electrolyte level. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of electrolyte imbalance and its associated factors among diabetic patients and healthy control groups attending the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Patients and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 130 diabetic patients and 130 diabetes-free controls. Sociodemographic, behavioral and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. After measuring anthropometric parameters, 5mL of the blood sample was collected. Electrolytes were measured based on ion-selective electrode methods. Fasting blood glucose, and creatinine were measured by spectrophotometric enzyme hexokinase, and Jaffe reaction methods, respectively. The data was entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 14. Mann-Whitney U-tests and independent t-tests were used for comparison. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done to determine the factors associated with electrolyte imbalances. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: The overall prevalence of electrolyte imbalance among diabetic patients and controls were 83.07% and 52.31%, respectively. The mean of Na+ and the median level of Mg2+ and Ca2+ were significantly decreased. However, the mean level of Cl- was significantly increased in diabetic patients as compared to control groups. In multivariable logistic regression: alcohol consumption AOR = 3.34 [1.02-10.9], no formal education AOR = 5.38 [1.14-25.4], hyperglycemia AOR = 6.32 [2.04-19.5], and urbanization AOR = 5.6 [1.44-22.3] showed significant association with electrolyte imbalance. Conclusion: Diabetic patients have more likely to develop electrolyte imbalance than control groups. Diabetic participants showed significantly reduced Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ levels and significantly increasing CI- levels when compared to control groups. Hyperglycemia, alcohol drinking habits, urbanization, and no-formal education were statistically significantly associated with electrolyte imbalance.