Effect of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation on exercise capacity in post COVID-19 patients: a randomized controlled trail.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an epidemic condition that compromises various consequences. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation on exercise capacity in patients with post COVID-19 syndrome. METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized control trial. A total of sixty-eight patients with post COVID-19 syndrome complaining of fatigue, dyspnea, and exercise intolerance participated in this study. Their ages ranged from 40 to 70 years old. The patients were randomly classified into two equal groups. The control group received usual medical care only, whereas the rehabilitation group received a selected home-based pulmonary rehabilitation exercise program plus the same usual medical care. The Physical Fitness Index (PFI), Chalder fatigue index, SF-36 questionnaire, dyspnea scale, and six-minute walk test (6 MWT) were measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention. RESULTS: The rehabilitation group showed a significant lower mean of Chalder fatigue (11.1 ± 0.94) and a higher mean of 6MWT (439.7 ± 25.3) and PFI (52.3 ± 10.2), in addition to a higher mean of the SF-36 Questionnaire (66.4 ± 3.7) and a significant improvement of dyspnea in the mMRC score (26.7%), grade 2, (63.3%), grade 1 (10%), and grade 0 with a p-value < 0.001 when compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (HBPR) for patients with post COVID-19 syndrome is effective and has a potential direct influence on exercise capacity, fatigue, dyspnea, and quality of life. HBPR could be considered an adjunctive, applicable, and low-cost therapy for patients with post COVID-19 syndrome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in Pan African Clinical Trial Registry as a clinical trial ID (PACTR202111640499636), November 2021.

Tacrolimus trough level and oxidative stress in Tunisian kidney transplanted patients.

BACKGROUND: The effect of tacrolimus (TAC) on oxidative stress after kidney transplantation (KT) is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of TAC trough levels of oxidative stress status in Tunisian KT patients during the post-transplantation period (PTP). METHODS: A prospective study including 90 KT patients was performed. TAC whole-blood concentrations were measured by the microparticle enzyme immunoassay method and adjusted according to the target range. Plasma levels of oxidants (malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP)) and antioxidants (ascorbic acid, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were measured using spectrophotometry. The subjects were subdivided according to PTP into three groups: patients with early, intermediate, and late PT. According to the TAC level, they were subdivided into LL-TAC, NL-TAC, and HL-TAC groups. RESULTS: A decrease in MDA levels, SOD activity, and an increase in GSH levels and GPx activity were observed in patients with late PT compared to those with early and intermediate PT (p < 0.05). Patients with LL-TAC had lower MDA levels and higher GSH levels and GPx activity compared with the NL-TAC and HL-TAC groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results have shown that in KT patients, despite the recovery of kidney function, the TAC reduced but did not normalize oxidative stress levels in long-term therapy, and the TAC effect significantly depends on the concentration used.

Effect of different types of aerobic training on peak VO2 and ejection fraction for diastolic heart failure patients; a comparative randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is described by a lack of confirmed efficient therapies and exercise intolerance. Engagement in physical activity decreases the possibility of adverse cardiovascular consequences involving heart failure. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Determine the effect of different types of aerobic training on peak VO2 and ejection fraction in diastolic heart failure patients. SUBJECT AND METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized control trail. Forty-eight eligible male patients with diastolic heart failure, aged between 50 and 65 years old, enrolled in this study. They were picked up from Police hospital outpatient clinic and were assigned to 2 equal groups in numbers. The first group (A) received aerobic exercise for the upper limb in the form of arm ergometer exercises, while the second group (B) received aerobic exercise for the lower limb in the form of cycling. Training duration for both groups was 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks. Peak VO2, and ejection fraction of both groups were measured and compared pre- and post-treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the ejection fraction between groups post-treatment. However, a significant increase (p < 0.001) was observed in the peak VO2 of group B when compared to group A post-treatment. CONCLUSION: There is no effect of different types of aerobic training on ejection fraction in diastolic heart failure patients, but lower limb exercise is more effective than upper limb exercise in improving peak VO2 in diastolic heart failure patients. Therefore, the current study recommended the use of lower limb exercise over upper limb exercise in training diastolic heart failure patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in ClinicalTrial.gov as a clinical trial ID (NCT05637125).

Effect of high-intensity laser therapy versus shockwave therapy on selected outcome measures in osteoporotic long-term hemiparetic patients: a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in treating consequences of osteoporosis in hemiparetic patients. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on hemiplegic patients with osteoporosis. They were randomly classified into three equal groups (n = 40 in each group). The control group received medication and traditional physiotherapy programs for stroke patients. The high-intensity laser (HIL) group received the same intervention as the control group in addition to high-intensity laser therapy. The shock wave (SW) group received the same intervention as the control group in addition to shock wave therapy. The three groups received an intervention that lasted 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks). All groups were assessed before and after therapy for the degree of pain, fall risk, and quality of life. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found concerning VAS, which had a significant difference in favor of HILT and ESWT groups compared to the control group; however, no significant difference was determined between HIL and SW groups. Regarding the overall stability index, SFBBS, and QUALEFFO-41, there was a significant difference in favor of HIL and SW groups compared to the control group, and a significant difference was found in HIL when compared to SW. CONCLUSION: The current study indicates that the combined traditional physical therapy and HILT and ESWT have clinical significance in improving osteoporotic long-term hemiparetic patients with more favor to HILT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered as a clinical trial at ClinicalTrial.gov ID (NCT05616611).

Outcomes of bio-esthetic single implant-supported restorations after peri-implant soft tissue conditioning with two prosthetic techniques: A 1-year randomized clinical trial.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Providing a definitive restoration with an emergence profile matching that of the contralateral or extracted tooth should result in an esthetic peri-implant soft tissue contour. Whether a custom healing abutment improves the outcome of a bio-copied definitive restoration compared with a stock abutment is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this 1-year randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the peri-implant soft and hard tissues related to bio-esthetic single implant-supported restorations having a contralateral tooth-matching restorative emergence profile after peri-implant soft tissue conditioning with either custom or stock healing abutment for patients indicated for immediate implant placement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four participants indicated for immediate implant placement in the maxillary esthetic zone received bio-esthetic single implant-supported restorations after peri-implant soft tissue conditioning with either a custom healing abutment (n=12) or a stock healing abutment (n=12). The pink and white esthetic score (PES-WES) was evaluated 6 and 12 months after implant placement. Peri-implant bone changes were measured with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans at the same intervals. RESULTS: The PES-WES showed significant difference between the 2 groups at 6 and 12 months. The CBCT scans did not show significant difference between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the bio-esthetic concept for immediate single implant placement achieved successful esthetic restorations after conditioning the peri-implant tissues using either custom or stock healing abutments. However, the use of custom healing abutments was associated with higher PES-WES values in comparison with the use of stock healing abutments.

Effect of electromagnetic therapy versus low-level laser therapy on diabetic patients with trigeminal neuralgia: a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is defined as intense, abrupt, often unilateral, stabbing, short, repeated episodes of pain in one or more distributional branches of the trigeminal nerve. AIM: To see how electromagnetic therapy (EMT) compared to low-level laser therapy (LLLT) affect TN in diabetes patients. DESIGN: This is a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Physical therapy and Neurology Outpatients Clinics at Faculty of Physical Therapy. POPULATION: One hundred and forty diabetic patients with TN were evaluated for eligibility. As a result, 126 diabetic patients with TN were included in this trial. They were randomly divided into three equal-sized groups using random allocation software. Due to travel to another country, two patients did not complete the treatment protocol, and four opted out of the post-therapy evaluation. So, 120 volunteer diabetic patients with TN of both sexes were diagnosed for the participation in this study by a neurologist (N.=40 in each group). METHODS: For two months, participants in the control group A received the medication only (oral hypoglycemic drugs, Analgesics, vitamin B12), participants in the study group B received the medications as in group A in addition to LLLT, and participants in the study group C received medication as in group A in addition to electromagnetic therapy (EMT). The primary outcome was the amplitude of compound muscle action potentials of temporalis and masseter muscles by using NEXUS 10 (Mind media). The secondary outcome was pain intensity by using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: According to the results of this study, there is a statistically significant difference in visual analog scale scores and the amplitude of compound muscle action potentials of the temporalis and masseter muscles among groups in favor of group B. CONCLUSIONS: After treatment, all groups improved significantly, with the laser group outperforming the electromagnetic group by a large margin. For irradiation, LLLT was more effective than EMT in reducing diabetic patients' trigeminal pain, and increasing masseter and temporalis muscles compound action potential amplitude in diabetic patients with TN. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: LLLT was more effective than EMT at reducing diabetic patient's trigeminal pain, and increasing masseter and temporalis muscles compound action potential amplitude in diabetic patients with TN patients after two months of interventions.

CAD-CAM custom healing abutments: A dental technique.

Custom healing abutments are important in establishing optimal esthetics for prosthesis-driven, implant-supported restorations. This report demonstrates a technique for constructing a custom healing abutment with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing to save chairside time and provide predictable results.

Time-restricted feeding and cognitive function in sedentary and physically active elderly individuals: Ramadan diurnal intermittent fasting as a model.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of Ramadan diurnal intermittent fasting (RDIF) on cognitive performance, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and insomnia in physically active and sedentary elderly individuals. Methods: A total of 58 participants (62.93 ± 3.99 years) were assigned to one of the following two groups: a sedentary group (control group) who observed Ramadan (n = 32) and a physically active group (n = 26) who continued to train while observing Ramadan. Participants were assessed 2 weeks before Ramadan and during the fourth week of Ramadan. On each occasion, participants completed a digital assessment of their cognitive performance and responded to the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the insomnia severity index (ISI) and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) questionnaires to assess sleep parameters. Results: Compared to before Ramadan, performance in executive function (p = 0.035), attention (p = 0.005), inhibition (p = 0.02), associative memory (p = 0.041), and recognition memory (p = 0.025) increased significantly during Ramadan in the physically active group. For the sedentary group, associative learning performance decreased (p = 0.041), whilst performances in the remaining domains remained unchanged during Ramadan. Global PSQI, ISI, and ESS scores indicated both groups suffered from poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness, with significantly higher negative effects of RDIF observed in the sedentary group. Conclusion: Older adults who continue to train at least three times per week during Ramadan may improve their cognitive performance, despite the impairment of sleep quality. Future studies in older adults during Ramadan including objective measures of sleep (e.g., polysomnography, actigraphy) and brain function (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging) are warranted.

The Use of Digital Technology to Assess Cognitive Function in Tunisian Adults.

BACKGROUND: There has been increasing evidence and support for the use of digital technology in the cognitive health field. Despite the growing use of innovative digital technology to assess cognitive function, such technology remains scarce in Arabic countries, particularly in Tunisia. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of a digitally delivered cognitive assessment battery in differentiating varying degrees of cognitive function in older Tunisian adults. METHODS: One hundred fifty-five Tunisian older adults (age: 62.24±7.52 years) were assigned to one of four groups: healthy controls (HC), at-risk (AR), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants completed a translated version of the Neurotrack digital cognitive battery. RESULTS: The AD group performed significantly lower on the associative learning (p = 0.01) and associative memory assessments (p = 0.002), than the HC and AR groups. The AD group also performed worse on the inhibition measure (p = 0.008) than the HC, AR, and MCI groups. For recognition memory, the was a significant difference between all four groups (p < 0.0005), with AD having the lowest scores followed by the MCI, AR, and HC groups, respectively. There were no significant differences observed on attention, executive function and processing speed performance between the four groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The use of digital technology appears to be a viable solution to current cognitive assessment challenges for assessing cognitive function in a Tunisian population. These findings provide further support for the use of digital technology in cognitive assessment, particularly in understudied populations.

Genetic variation among pumpkin landraces based on seed qualities and molecular markers.

BACKGROUND: Germplasm identification is an essential connection linking the conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources in several plant breeding programs. This study highlights the biochemical and molecular variations in a collection of pumpkin genotypes representing four climate zones. The information could help improve germplasm management and sustainable exploitation of the neglected genotypes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Chemical characterization and genetic diversity among nine Egyptian landraces of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) were estimated using Diode Array (DDA) Near Infra-Red (NIR) technology and the Inter simple Sequence Repeat markers (ISSR). Pumpkin seeds were collected from various geographical parts of Egypt. The spectroscopic properties of pumpkin seeds were used to quantify the fat, moisture, protein, ash, fiber, and total carbohydrate contents. The ten ISSR primers generated a total number of 46 genotype-specific bands, and the total polymorphism produced in the tested landraces was 63.58%. Based on the ISSR data, the polymorphism analysis divided the nine pumpkin landraces into two main groups, two subgroups, and four sub subgroups. The most diverse pumpkin landraces were Alexandria and Sohag, with a similarity percentage of 49.6%. However, the highest calculated similarity value was 88.3% between Matruh and Gharbia. The resultant genotype-specific bands can be used as markers for future genotypic characterization of pumpkins. CONCLUSIONS: The study results could be helpful in the chemical phenotypic characterization and the parental selection and planning for future breeding programs for pumpkin improvement.

[Multiple drug hypersensitivity in patients with an allergy to antibiotics]. / Hypersensibilité médicamenteuse multiple chez des patients ayant une allergie aux antibiotiques.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple drug hypersensitivity (MDHS) is defined as confirmed drug hypersensitivity (DHS) to 2 or more drugs that are not chemically related. The objective of our study is to describe the cases of MDHS with antibiotics notified to the regional pharmacovigilance service (SRPV) of Sfax (Tunisia). METHODS: Our study is of a descriptive cross-sectional type, focusing on patients who consulted at the SRPV in Sfax during the period between 2013 and 2020 and who presented at least two episodes of DHS occurring at different times (at least one month apart). RESULTS: In our study, we included 29 patients (18 women and 11 men with a mean age of 59 years) who presented 69 sequential MDHS reactions documented either by a positive re-administration in 29 cases or by allergological exploration in 20 case, or by a highly suggestive clinical history in 20 cases. The frequency of MDHS was 1.13%. The drugs involved in the occurrence of these 69 DHS reactions were antibiotics in 55 cases (80%), antiepileptics in 6 cases (9%), NSAIDs in 4 cases (6%) and other drugs in 4 cases (6%) (one case with allopurinol, one case with strontium ranelate and two cases with gliclazide). CONCLUSION: MDHS pose a real problem of therapeutic management. Indeed, these reactions can lead to a difficult choice of drugs with the impossibility of prescribing optimal first-line therapies.

Outcomes of Mandibular Overdentures Supported by Four Short Implants Combined with Photobiomodulation Therapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clinically and radiographically evaluate mandibular overdentures supported by four short implants combined with two different doses of photobiomodulation (PBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A split-mouth design was applied; six completely edentulous male subjects received four short implants in the canine and second premolar area. Short implants were inserted via a digital fully guided approach with a stereolithographic surgical guide. All patients received five PBM sessions immediately after surgery and every 48 hours. Group A (n = 6) implants on the right side received a dose of 3.75 J/cm2, and group B (n = 6) implants on the left side received a dose of 7.5 J/cm2. Evaluation of peri-implant probing depth (PIPD), modified Gingival Index (MGI), and vertical bone loss was performed at the time of prosthetic loading and 6 and 12 months later. The implant stability quotient (ISQ) was also assessed 6 and 12 months after loading. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between both groups regarding PIPD values. However, a minor but significant increase from the baseline (P < .001) was observed in PIPD values in both groups after 12 months. The MGI scores at the different time intervals were very low for both groups. The mean vertical bone loss after 12 months was minimal for both groups but statistically significant from the baseline (P < .001). ISQ values for both groups after 12 months revealed a significant increase from the baseline, and group B values were significantly higher than those of group A. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, a mandibular overdenture supported by four short implants is a valid treatment modality for atrophic mandibles, and a PBM dose of 7.5 J/cm2 has a potential positive influence on implant healing and osseointegration.

Efficacy of Essential Trace Elements Supplementation on Mineral Composition, Sperm Characteristics, Antioxidant Status, and Genotoxicity in Testis of Tebuconazole-treated Rats.

OBJECTIVE: This research was performed to evaluate the effect of tebuconazole (TBZ) on reproductive organs of male rats and to assess the protective role of combined essential trace elements in alleviating the detrimental effect of TBZ on male reproductive function. METHODS: For this purpose, 48 rats were exposed to 100 mg/kg TBZ, TBZ supplemented with zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe), TBZ + (Se + Zn); TBZ + Cu; or TBZ + Fe. The experiment was conducted for 30 consecutive days. RESULTS: TBZ caused a significant perturbation in mineral levels and reduction in reproductive organs weights, plasma testosterone level, and testicular antioxidant enzyme activities. The TBZ-treated group also showed a significant increase in sperm abnormalities (count, motility, and viability percent), plasma follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone concentrations, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and severe DNA degradation in comparison with the controls. Histopathologically, TBZ caused testis impairments. Conversely, treatment with trace elements, in combination or alone, improved the reproductive organ weights, sperm characteristics, TBZ-induced toxicity, and histopathological modifications in testis. CONCLUSION: TBZ exerts significant harmful effects on male reproductive system. The concurrent administration of trace elements reduces testis dysfunction, fertility, and toxicity induced by TBZ.

Clinical Efficacy of Photobiomodulation on Dental Implant Osseointegration: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been shown to have a positive effect on dental implant osseointegration and stability in in vitro and animal studies; however, its usefulness in dental implant clinical practice is yet unclear. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the clinical effectiveness of PBM on dental implants' osseointegration. METHODS: Two reviewers independently conducted a comprehensive electronic search of articles published from inception up to January 10, 2020, in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized clinical studies that compared the effect of PBM on dental implant stability with control groups were included. Animals and in vitro studies studies as well as studies with confounders such as application of orthodontic were excluded. Risk of bias (using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for RCTs and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions tool for nonrandomized studies) was assessed by both authors. Owing to substantial heterogeneity, only a narrative synthesis of the included studies is presented. RESULTS: Seven relevant clinical studies were included, and they used a variety of PBM parameters and devices. The posterior region of the jaw was found to be more frequently evaluated. For assessing the effect of PBM on implant stability, five studies used resonance frequency analysis and two used periotest; three studies additionally used biomarkers for assessment. Four studies found that PBM has a potential positive effect on the outcome of dental implant stability, whereas three studies reported that PBM has no effect on implant stability. CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review suggest that postoperative application of PBM may potentially have some positive effect on dental implant's osseointegration and stability. However, additional studies are required with uniformity in methods to provide a more robust assessment of this effect.

Effects of Aerobic-, Anaerobic- and Combined-Based Exercises on Plasma Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Healthy Untrained Young Adults.

Currently, it is well accepted that physical exercise-induced oxidative stress may damage biological structures and impair cellular functions. However, it is still unclear which type of exercise results in the greatest oxidative stress responses among a healthy untrained population. The aim of the present study was to compare the acute oxidative stress response (i.e., 0 to 20 min) following different types of exercise (anaerobic, aerobic, and combined). Ten healthy, untrained males (19.5 ± 1.7 years) performed three randomized exercise bouts: anaerobic (30 s Wingate test), aerobic (30 min at 60% maximal aerobic power (MAP)) or combined (anaerobic and aerobic). Venous blood samples were collected before, as well as at 0 (P0), 5 (P5), 10 (P10), and 20 (P20) min after each session. Rates of malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant activities (i.e., glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), α-tocopherol, and total antioxidant status (TAS)) were assessed. Independent of exercise type, plasma MDA, GPX, SOD, and GR contents increased above baseline, whereas plasma α-tocopherol decreased under baseline after the test sessions (p < 0.05). Aerobic and anaerobic exercises generated faster responses (at P0) when compared to the combined exercise (P5 to P10) for the majority of the tested parameters. Plasma TAS content only increased following the aerobic exercise at P10 (p = 0.03). Five to twenty-minutes post exercise, the highest MDA response was registered in the aerobic condition, and the highest GPX and SOD responses were recorded in the anaerobic (at P5) and aerobic (at P20) conditions (p < 0.05). In conclusion, aerobic, anaerobic, or combined exercises have the potential to acutely increase oxidative stress and antioxidant activities, but with different responses magnitude. These findings confirm that oxidative stress response seems to be dependent on the intensity and the duration of the physical exercise and may help in understanding how varying exercise bouts influence the degree of oxidative stress among healthy untrained young adults.

Observing Ramadan and sleep-wake patterns in athletes: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of observing Ramadan on athletes' sleep patterns. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: The entire content of PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Single-group, prepost and cross-over design studies conducted in athletes aged ≥18 years, training at least twice a week and published in English before 12 July 2018 were included. Studies assessing sleep quantity, quality, daytime sleepiness and/or daily naps based on objective or subjective methods were deemed eligible. STUDY APPRAISAL: The methodological quality was assessed using 'QualSyst'. RESULTS: Of 13 selected articles, 7 were of strong quality, 3 were moderate and 3 were weak. 11 studies evaluated total sleep time (TST); this decreased during Ramadan in 4 studies, increased in 1 and remained unchanged in 6. Pooled TST findings indicated a moderate effect size (- 0.97, SE=0.37, 95% CI -1.69 to -0.25, t=-2.64, p=0.01) with significant heterogeneity but no publication bias. Meta-regressions showed no effects of study year, age, sample size, type of sport or competition level, but there were effects of country (with France and Tunisia being the most affected countries and Turkey the least affected, Q=32.14, p<0.0001) and study design (Q=7.74, p=0.02). Four studies measured self-reported sleep quality and it decreased in three studies. One study of sleep architecture reported more frequent waking and more light sleep during Ramadan. Daily nap duration was increased in two studies, but daytime sleepiness remained unchanged in four studies. CONCLUSION: When athletes continue to train at least two times/week while observing Ramadan, TST is decreased compared with athletes' baseline levels.

Relationship of oxidative stress in the resistance to imatinib in Tunisian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This work aimed to evaluate oxidative stress in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients treated with tunisian (IM) vs controls and in CML patients with resistance to IM vs patients without resistance to IM. METHODS: The study included 40 CML patients and 34 controls. Of 40 patients with CML, 26 patients were developed in resistance to IM. The oxidant/antioxidant markers were evaluated by spectrophotometric methods for all used samples. RESULTS: For CML patients, increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) levels were found compared to controls (P < .001; P = .01). Higher catalase (CAT) activity (P = .048) and lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, reduced Glutathione (GSH) and vitamin C levels were found in CML patients (P < .001). The comparison between the resistant vs no-resistant CML patients revealed higher MDA level (P = .02) and CAT and SOD activities in IM-resistant patients (P = .04, P = .03). GPx activity was reduced (P = .04). Furthermore, increased mean ratio of MDA/GSH, MDA/GPx, and SOD/(GPx + CAT) was found in IM-resistant patients as compared with no-resistant (P = .01, P = .01, P = .035). The mean ratio of GPx/GSH in the IM-resistant CML patients was lower than in IM no-resistant one (P = .039). For IM-resistant patients, we found negative correlation between MDA level and the ratio SOD/(CAT + GPx) (r = -0.46, P = .002); and positive correlation between SOD and (CAT + GPx) activities (r = 0.38, P = .06) and between GSH level and GPx activity (r = 0.53, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results have shown a highly disturbed oxidative profile in IM-resistant CML patients as compared to no-resistant. The H2 O2 has a key role in the resistance to IM treatment.

Polysaccharide from Pimpinella anisum seeds: Structural characterization, anti-inflammatory and laser burn wound healing in mice.

The polysaccharide preparation from Pimpinella anisum seeds (PAP) was isolated and characterized to evaluate its laser burn wound-healing and anti-inflammatory activities in mice. The structure characterization of PAP by Infra-red spectrometry (IR), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Gas chromatogram-Mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and colorimetric methods revealed an optimum yield of 8.84%, a high quantity of carbohydrate (64.75%) and low levels of lipids, protein and sulfate. Galactose (33.47%), ß-d-Glucose (26.71%) and α-d-Mannose (18.21%) were the major monosaccharides components presenting in PAP, and a smaller amounts of ß-d-Galactose, d-Fructose, α-d-Glucose, α-l-Galactose and arabinose were detected. PAP showed noticeable antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The anti-inflammatory activity of PAP in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model in mice, demonstrated by reduced edema and cellular infiltration, and oxidative stress markers in muscle tissue. A beneficial wound healing effect was also revealed. The topical application of PAP based gel on laser burn lesions accelerates wound contraction, the re-epithelization and remodeling phases after seven days of treatment. The results demonstrated that PAP is a novel promising source of natural wound healing and anti-inflammatory drugs. The high content and varied PAP monosaccharides seem to be responsible for the observed biological activities.

Effects of Ramadan fasting on athletes' hematological indices: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on hematological data in athletes through a systematic appraisal of the literature. DESIGN: Systematic review Data sources: The entire content of two databases, PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: Ramadanrelated measurements of any hematological indices in athletes were considered. Both single-group pre-post with and without a control group studies conducted in athletes and published in English language before December 31, 2018 were included. Study appraisal: The methodological quality of the studies identified was assessed using 'QualSyst'. RESULTS: Of nine selected articles, eight were of moderate quality and only one was of strong quality. The main problem to date has been a lack of appropriate controls. Compared to before Ramadan, hematocrit and hemoglobin values increased in three studies, decreased in one study and did not change in one study during Ramadan fasting. Another study reported increased hematocrit and a puzzling decrease of hemoglobin during as compared to before Ramadan fasting. In most studies, blood platelet counts and the limited number of immune function used to date remainedunchanged. CONCLUSIONS: All reported changes in hematological indices remained within the normal reference range of the laboratory. Therefore, regular training can continue safely during Ramadan fasting from a hematological view point.