Prevalence and predictors of hypertension among adults in Mbarara City, Western Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of hypertension among an urban adult population in Mbarara city, Western Uganda. METHODS: We evaluated blood pressure measurements, social demographic and clinical parameters of adults living in Mbarara city, Uganda. These parameters were extracted from medical records of adults who participated in the Uganda World Kidney Day 2020 health screening activities. A total of 302 adults were evaluated for hypertension using the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2017 (blood pressure threshold 130/80 mmHg) and International Society of Hypertension 2020 guidelines (threshold 140/90 mmHg). RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 42.5 years (standard deviation: 15.1) and majority were male 195/302 (64.6%). Using American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2017 guidelines, 156/302 (51.7%) adults were newly diagnosed with hypertension compared to 68/302 (22.5%) newly diagnosed with hypertension using International Society of Hypertension 2020 guidelines. Only 23/302 (7.6%) were on treatment. Based on American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2017 guidelines, age ≥40 years and overweight/obesity were statistically significant predictors of hypertension (p < 0.05 for all) at multivariate analysis. Using the International Society of Hypertension 2020 guidelines, age ≥40 years predicted hypertension. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of hypertension is high among this urban adult population irrespective of the guidelines used, highlighting the need for hypertension prevention interventions.

Evaluation of soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) and sLOX-1/oxidized LDL ratio as novel biomarkers of acute coronary syndrome.

The lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). In patients with acute coronary syndrome, circulating soluble LOX-1 (sLOX-1) levels are dramatically elevated. This study aimed to assess sLOX-1 levels in acute coronary syndromes and determine the ratio of sLOX-1 and oxidative LDL in cases of myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris and the ROC curve for this ratio sLOX-1. A case-control study was conducted at the department of chemistry and biochemistry, college of medicine, Al- Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq, from September 2020 to January 2021. In a total of 90 subjects (30 patients with myocardial infarction within the first six hours of chest pains, 30 patients with unstable angina pectoris, and 30 healthy donors). The ELISA technique measured concentrations of sLOX-1 and oxidized LDL. In addition, Troponin and highly sensitive C reactive protein were measured by the same technique (Fluorescence immune assay), and lipid profile was measured using the Spectrophotometer technique. The median level of sLOX-1 in MI group was 476.17 pg/ml (90.88-675.4 pg/ml) which was significantly higher than that of UA patients (median=289.1 pg/ml [62.74-585.43 pg/ml]) and controls (median=144.52 pg/ml [79.17-283.83 pg/ml]) with highly significant differences and the median sLOX-1/OX-LDL ratio in patients with MI was 64.6 (range 15.17-100.15) which was significantly higher than either patients with UA (median=37.6 [7.06-88.65]) or controls (median=25.29 [12.7-43.04]). There were elevated levels of sLOX-1 in acute coronary syndromes. The sLOX-1/oxidized LDL ratio also strongly indicated the diagnosis and a discriminatory force on the ROC curve for myocardial infarction.

Serum lipocalin-2 and carotid artery intima-media thickness in relation to obesity in eugonadal males over forty with venogenic erectile dysfunction.

Obesity is a risk factor for erectile dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Lipocalin-2 is an adipocytokine with proinflammatory properties involved in several disorders with metabolic alterations. Our aim was to study the relation of serum lipocalin-2 and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) to obesity in erectile dysfunction. Serum lipocalin-2 and CIMT were measured in 25 obese and 25 nonobese eugonadal patients over forty with venogenic erectile dysfunction and 25 healthy controls. Their relation to different patient- and disease-related parameters was studied. Results revealed lipocalin-2 to be significantly higher in obese compared with nonobese patients and with controls, and in nonobese patients compared with controls. CIMT was lower in controls compared with both obese and nonobese patients. In obese and nonobese patients, lipocalin-2 was positively correlated with disease duration, body mass index, waist circumference and end-diastolic velocity. Lipocalin-2 was negatively correlated with the short form of the international index of erectile function scores in both groups. In conclusion, the elevated lipocalin-2 in obese and to a lesser extent in nonobese patients and its association with disease severity points to its potential value as a diagnostic marker and a possible therapeutic target that could ameliorate the metabolic derangement associated with erectile dysfunction.

Cyanidin 3-glucoside modulated cell cycle progression in liver precancerous lesion, in vivo study.

BACKGROUND: Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (cyan) exhibits antioxidant and anticancer properties. The cell cycle proteins and antimitotic drugs might be promising therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. AIM: To investigate the effect of cyan administration on cell cycle in hepatic precancerous lesion (PCL) induced by diethylnitrosamine/2-acetylaminofluorene (DEN/2-AAF) in Wistar rats. METHODS: In vivo, DEN/2-AAF-induced hepatic PCL, rats were treated with three doses of cyan (10, 15, and 20 mg/kg/d, for four consecutive days per week for 16 wk). Blood and liver tissue samples were collected for measurement of the followings; alpha fetoprotein (AFP) liver function and RNA panel differential expression was evaluated via real time polymerase chain reaction. Histopathological examination of liver sections stained with H&E and immunohistochemical study using glutathione S-transferase placental (GSTP) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibodies were assessed. RESULTS: Cyan administration mitigated the effect of DEN/2-AFF induced PCL, decreased AFP levels, and improved liver function. Remarkably, treatment with cyan dose dependently decreased the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 and tubulin gamma 1 mRNA expressions and increased the levels of miR-125b, all of which are involved in cell cycle and mitotic spindle assembly. Of note, cyan decreased GSTP foci percent area and PCNA positively stained nuclei. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that cyan could be used as a potential therapeutic agent to inhibit liver carcinogenesis in rat model via modulation of cell cycle.