Serum zinc levels and zinc binding capacity in thalassemia.

Recently, it has been reported that serum zinc binding capacity (ZnBC) is a very important criterion to evaluate body zinc (Zn) status. It has been shown that chronic Zn deficiency occur in the patients with thalassemia major (TM). Zn deficiency in TM may cause hyperzincuria, high ferritin levels, hepatic iron load, hepatic dysfunction. This study was undertaken to determine serum Zn levels and ZnBC in different thalassemia forms and sickle cell disease (SCD). The study has been carried out on 30 Thalassemia Major (TM), 34 Thalassemia Intermedia (TI), 31 Thalassemia Trait (TT) and 10 SCD. As control group,13 healthy children and 20 adults were included. Serum Zn and ZnBC were determined by atomic absorption, then saturation index (SI%: serum Zn/ZnBC x 100) was calculated. Serum Zn levels in all patients were lower than control (p < 0.01). Serum ZnBC was at a normal level in patients with TT and TI but it was found to be lower in TM and SCD than control (p < 0.01). While serum Zn levels decrease and ZnBC increase in nutritionaL Zn deficiency, serum Zn levels decrease but ZnBC doesn't increase in patients with thalassemia.

Plasma lipids and lipoproteins in retinopathy of type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.

The most important factor associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy is the duration of the diabetes. Studies to examine the relationship of diabetic retinopathy to plasma lipids and lipoproteins have produced conflicting results. We examined the association of background and proliferative retinopathy development with plasma lipid and lipoprotein changes in 78 patients with Type I diabetes. We found significant increases in plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, LDL phospholipid, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol only in patients with proliferative retinopathy. The changes in plasma triglycerides, HDL phospholipid, and apolipoproteins A and B, were not significant. Furthermore, the duration of diabetes and patient age were correlated with both background and proliferative retinopathy.

A primary intraocular hydatid cyst.

Ultrasonography and computerized tomography (CT) of the painful and blind right eye of a 13-year-old girl showed a cystic mass almost filling the vitreous cavity and narrowing the anterior chamber. The histopathologic diagnosis of the enucleated eye was an echinococcus cyst. Abdominal ultrasonography, brain CT and chest X-rays gave no abnormal findings when first examined, nor during the follow-up 18 months after surgery. Indirect hemagglutination test was negative at the last control. The case was accepted as a primary hydatid cyst (echinococcosis) of the eyeball.

Cerebrospinal fluid nitric oxide levels in childhood bacterial meningitis.

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in childhood bacterial meningitis was investigated by determining the levels of nitrate/nitrite, stable end products of NO metabolism, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Eighteen children with bacterial meningitis and 18 as a control group were included in the study. Mean (+/- SD) CSF nitrate/nitrite levels were 27.6 +/- 26 micromol/l in the bacterial meningitis group and 3.2 +/- 1.8 micromol/l in the control group (p = 0.0005). We found no correlation between CSF nitrate/nitrite levels and CSF white blood cell count (r = 0.22), protein (r = 0.26) or tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels (r = 0.046), but a moderate negative correlation between CSF nitrate/nitrite and glucose levels (r = -0.46).