The result reveals that there is a positive relationship between increasing serum GGT levels and the incidence of CKD which suggests that elevated GGT level could be a potential indicator for risk of CKD.

No abstract

Due to frequent phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway dysregulation, AKT is typically accepted as a promising anticancer therapeutic target. mTOR, in particular, represents a suitable therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma, whilst suppressor with morphogenetic effect on genitalia family member-1 (SMG-1) is believed to serve a potential tumor suppressor role in human cancer. Despite SMG-1 and mTOR belonging to the same PI3K-related kinase family, the interactions between them are not yet fully understood. In the present study, a novel pyrrolopyrimidine-derived compound, AZD5363, was observed to suppress proliferation in liver cancer Hep-G2 and Huh-7 cells by inhibiting the phosphorylation of downstream molecules in the AKT signal pathway, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. AZD5363 activated the phosphorylation of mTOR, dependent on the liver cancer cell type, as it may have differing effects in various liver cancer cell lines. Additionally, AZD5363 also activated SMG-1 within the same liver cancer cells types, which subsequently activated the phosphorylation of mTOR. In conclusion, the present study indicates that AZD5363 inhibited phosphorylation of AKT downstream molecules, and activated phosphorylation of mTOR and SMG-1, dependent on the liver cancer type.

Background: HIV treatment centres register HIV positive patients, specially trained doctors prescribe Antiretroviral Therapy to the selected cases that fulfill the criteria for initiation of HAART. Aim: To establish predictive markers of failure of 1st line ART in HIV positive patients on first line ART under treatment in HIV Treatment Centre of PIMS Islamabad. Study design: Retrospective case control study. Methodology: Retrospective case control study done at HIV Treatment Centre at PIMS Islamabad. Cases were patients who failed 1st line ART and started on second line ART from November 2005 to June 2020. Patients responding well to first line ART since more than five years or more were taken as controls. Various factors were analyzed in both groups and compared to find their level of significance. Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 25 as qualitative variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: CD4 count of all 38 patients was below 300 on diagnosis. In 21 patients (55.3%) CD4 count initially increased but there was no rise in CD4 count in 17 patients (44.7%) after start of 1st line ART. Conclusion: We concluded that CD4 count is one of the most important predictive markers in success or failure of ART. Rising number of CD4 count on follow up visits gives a strong indication that patient is responding well to the prescribed treatment and is likely to benefit from the current regimen of ARVs for a longer period in future. Keywords: Predictive Markers, CD4 count, Viral Load, HIV, ART, Compliance and Co-morbidities