Studying the effect of donor kidney volume ratios to recipients' body surface area, body mass index, and total body weight on post-transplant graft function.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to retrospectively investigate the relationship between renal transplanted volume indexes (Total kidney volume (TKV)/Body surface area (BSA), Renal parenchymal volume (RPV)/BSA, Renal cortical volume (RCV)/BSA, RPV/Body mass index (BMI), RCV/BMI, RPV/Weight, RCV/Weight), and short- and long-term function of the graft. METHODS: One-hundred and twelve live donor-recipient pairs from 2017 to 2018, whose donors underwent preoperative renal computed tomography angiography and recipients survived during 12 months of follow-up, were included in this study. RESULTS: The crude and adjusted linear regressions for the effect of volume measurements by voxel and ellipsoid methods on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at different post-transplantation times demonstrated that the RPV/weight ratio had the most substantial crude effect on the eGFR 12 months and 4 years after renal transplant. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for six different renal volume ratios demonstrated no significant difference between these ratios in terms of discriminative ability (p value < 0.05). A strong direct correlation between TKV calculated by the ellipsoid formula with RPV and RCV measured using OsiriX software was noted. Analysis of ROC curves for renal volume indices has demonstrated fair to good discriminative ability of our cut-off points to estimate 4-year post-transplantation eGFR > 60 mL/min. CONCLUSION: Renal transplant recipients' volume indices, such as RPV/weight, had strong correlations with eGFR at different points in time, and renal transplant recipients with the volume ratios higher than our cut-off points had a good chance of having a 4-year post-transplantation eGFR higher than 60 mL/min.

Correlation between trans-perineal ultra-sonography, urodynamic study and physical examination findings in female patients with stress urinary incontinence: Single center experience.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of Trans-perineal ultrasonography (TPUS) in assessment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and its correlation with urodynamic study (UDS) and physical examination in women with SUI. METHODS: The study enrolled a total of 91 females including 66 women with SUI and 25 women with no history of urinary incontinence as control group. The α and ß angles (anterior urethral and posterior urethro-vesical angle respectively) were recorded both at rest and at straining, using TPUS. The differences between these angles at rest and during the straining were considered as the rotational angles (Rα and Rß). Urethral length and caliber, bladder neck funneling, and pubo-urethral distance were measured as well. RESULTS: The mean (SD) α angle at rest of the SUI group was 49.0 (±14.3)°, which was higher than the same parameter in the control group: 47.6 (±9.7)°. Similarly, the α angle at straining was significantly higher in the SUI group versus the control group, 61.0 (±15.4)° versus 55.8 (±15.8)°. The mean (SD) ß angle in the SUI group at rest was 124.6 (±28.5)°, which was significantly higher than that of the control group at 114.0 (±22.5)°. The mean (SD) ß angle at straining was also higher in the SUI group versus the control group: 151.8 (±90.6) versus 136.0 (±27)°. Moreover, higher Rα and Rß angels were documented in the SUI group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that TPUS can be considered as a non-invasive, easily conducted, and accurate modality in early diagnosis of female SUI. It may reduce the need for performing relatively invasive UDS. However, the role of TPUS in assessment of SUI severity remains to be studied probably with a larger sample size.

Mortality prediction of a body shape index versus traditional anthropometric measures in an Iranian population: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.

OBJECTIVES: A body shape index (ABSI) based on waist circumference (WC) adjusted for height and weight has been shown to be a risk factor for premature mortality. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that ABSI predicts mortality hazard better than other anthropometric measures in an Iranian population. METHODS: The study population included 9242 Iranian participants in Tehran, aged ≥30 y, followed for a median 10 y. The risk for mortality was estimated by incorporating ABSI, body mass index (BMI), WC, waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), one at a time, into multivariate models as well as in terms of the effect size, calibration, discrimination, and added predictive ability. RESULTS: We documented 487 deaths with the annual incidence rate of mortality per 1000 persons being 3.9 for women and 8.2 for men. ABSI was associated with all-cause mortality in a curvilinear fashion. ABSI was more strongly associated with all-cause mortality than were BMI, WC, and WHtR. Among women, however, WHpR was observed to be a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality than ABSI. Among both men and women, ABSI improved the risk classification based on other anthropometric measures, the only exception being WHpR. None of the anthropometric measures studied could add any value to the predictive ability of the Framingham's general cardiovascular disease algorithm. CONCLUSION: ABSI was the strongest predictor of all-cause mortality among the anthropometric measurements, except WHpR in women. When ABSI was added to the Framingham general cardiovascular disease algorithm, it failed to improve the predictive ability.

Suppressive impact of anethum graveolens consumption on biochemical risk factors of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the effects of Anethum graveolens (Dill) powder on postprandial lipid profile, markers of oxidation and endothelial activation when added to a fatty meal. METHODS: In an experimental study, 32 rabbits were randomly designated into four diet groups: normal diet, high cholesterol diet (1%), high cholesterol diet plus 5% (w/w) dill powder and high cholesterol diet plus lovastatin (10 mg/kg, bw). The concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (alt), aspartate aminotransferase (ast), fibrinogen, factor VII, apolipoprotein B (ApoB), nitrite and nitrate were measured in blood samples following 15 h of fasting and 3 h after feeding. RESULTS: Concurrent use of A. graveolens powder or lovastatin significantly decreased ALT, TC, glucose, fibrinogen and LDL-C values in comparison with hypercholesterolemic diet group (P < 0.05). Consumption of A. graveolens or lovastatin did not change factor VII, ApoB, nitrite and nitrate levels significantly in comparison with hypercholesterolemic diet group. Intake of A. graveolens significantly decreased serum AST compared to hypercholesterolemic diet. CONCLUSIONS: A. graveolens might have some protective values against atherosclerosis and that it significantly affects some biochemical risk factors of this disease. Our findings also confirm the potential harmful effects of oxidized fats and the importance of dietary polyphenols in the meal.

Preventive and curative effects of ginger extract against histopathologic changes of gentamicin-induced tubular toxicity in rats.

BACKGROUND: Gentamicin (GM) is a commonly used aminoglycoside, however, renal toxicity has limited its usage. This study was designed to evaluate the curative and protective effects of Zingiber officinale (ginger) against gentamicin tubular toxicity in rats. The phenolic and flavonoid components and antioxidant activity of ginger were also evaluated. METHODS: In a preclinical study, 50 male Wistar rats were designated into 5 groups of 10 and treated as follows: Group I: vehicle. Group II: 200 mg/kg/d of ginger for 3 days then, GM (80 mg/kg) for 7 days. Group III: 200 mg/kg ginger orally for 3 days, then ginger plus GM for 7 days. Group IV: GM for 7 days. Group V: GM for 10 days. Group VI: GM for 7 days, then 200 mg/kg ginger orally for 10 days. At the end of the study, the animals were sacrificed and their kidneys were histologically evaluated. RESULTS: Ginger could prevent degeneration of the renal cells and reduce the severity of tubular damage caused by gentamicin. However, it could not regenerate the GM degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that ginger is effective as a prophylaxis agent, but has not curative effect.