Evaluation of normal range of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin d in iraqi healthy adults: demographic and socioeconomic effects.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To determine the normal range of serum levels of total 25(OH)VD in Iraqi healthy adult subjects and to relate its level with demographic profile and socioeconomic status.. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out at Iraq and the samples were collected during the period from August 2019 to January 2020. It included 649 adult subjects apparently healthy, from three governorates (Baghdad, Al-Anbar and Al-Basrah), Investigations included serum measurement of total 25(OH)D in all included individuals by using ELISA technique. Age, gender, marital state, blood pressure, smoking, sunshine exposure (%), hours of exposure/day, percentage of body surface area exposed, body mass index (BMI) subgroups, waist circumference (WC) subgroups, diet type, sport type and time, geographic factor (governorate) were measured and / or calculated and the levels of 25(OH)D were studied according to each of these factors. RESULTS: Results: The mean ± SD level of 25(OH)D in total (n=649) studied Iraqi subjects was (16.29 ± 8.22 ng/ml), with women were significantly deficient than men (15.76 ± 6.89 ng/ml, 17.14 ± 6.85 ng/ml; p < 0.01 respectively). However, there was no significant differences in mean values of serum 25(OH)D levels among studied governorates, subgroups of BMI, WC, marital status, smokers and nonsmoker and subgroups of age. The mean value of serum 25(OH)D was found to be decreased in January, October and November as well as according to diet and sport types. There was significant positive correlation between total 25(OH)D and sun exposed surface area, sun exposure duration and with sun exposure area. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The mean (±SD) value of serum total 25(OH)D in Iraqi healthy subjects was 16.29 ng/ml (±8.22) reflecting the actual body status of this vitamin with lower concentration in women than in men. Type and time of sport and diet type were the major vitamin D dependent factors.

Corrigendum to "The cardiotoxicity effect of different chemotherapeutic regimens in Iraqi patients with breast cancer: A follow up study" [Heliyon 5 (8) (August 2019) e02194].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02194.].

The cardiotoxicity effect of different chemotherapeutic regimens in Iraqi patients with breast cancer: A follow up study.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the first in ranking among cancers in Iraq. Anthracyclines, cyclophosphamide and taxane are the most active chemotherapeutic regimens used. Anthracyclines induced cardiotoxicity through free radical formation while there is no full understanding about that of cyclophosphamide, but it thought that it may cause direct cardiac muscle damage. While, taxane induced cardiotoxicity through coronary vasoconstriction and oxidative stress. Thus; it is very important to study changes in the cardiac biomarkers as they were the most reliable and sensitive markers associated with cardiotoxicity. AIM: This research was designed to carry out investigations on the cardiotoxicity effects of these chemotherapeutic drugs in Iraqi patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was performed at the Department of Biochemistry, Medicine College, Baghdad University and at the Oncology Department of the Teaching Hospital, Baghdad - Iraq, during the period from May 2018 to October 2018. It was carried out on 56 women with undisturbed menstrual cycle (25-45 years), These women were divided into 3 groups: GI was of 29 women with primary breast cancer without starting any kind of chemotherapy, GII: the same 29 women of GI after finishing 4 cycles of anthracyclines (course 1) and GIII: which involved another 27 women after finishing both course 1 and course 2 (4 cycles of taxanes). Investigations included serum measurements of high sensitive cardiac troponin (hs-cTn), NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP), and high sensitive- C reactive protein (hs-CRP) by using ELISA technique. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, when the P-values were less than 0.05, it was considered as significant. RESULTS: The mean (±SEM) value of the serum hs-CRP levels was decreased significantly in GIII in comparison to both GI (p = 0.004) and GII (p = 0.049) while there was no significant difference between GI and GII. Also, there was no significant difference in the mean (±SEM) value of the serum hs-cTn and the serum NT-PROBNP levels between all groups. The results also showed that there was a significant negative correlation between BMI values and serum NT-proBNP levels in GI (r = -0.435, p = 0.018), GII (r = -0.438, p = 0.018), and GIII (r = -0.384, p = 0.048). In GI, there was also a significant positive correlation between BMI and serum hs-CRP levels (r = 0.395, p = 0.034). Also, there was a significant positive correlation between serum hs-cTn levels and NT-proBNP levels in GI (r = 0.416, p = 0.025) and GII (r = 0.467, p = 0.011). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between the serum hs-cTn levels and serum hs- CRP concentrations (r = -0.397, p = 0.040) in GIII. CONCLUSION: This study had concluded insignificant changes of cardiac biochemical markers during the chemotherapeutic treatment and that chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity is negligible.