No abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as a risk factors of cerebrovascular stroke. Objectives: The aim of this study was firstly, to assess the serum level of vitamin D in cerebral stroke patients and secondly, to examine if its deficiency was associated with stroke severity and outcome. Methods: We utilized a case-control study design and recruited 138 acute stroke patients and 138 age-and sexmatched controls from subjects attending outpatient clinic for other reasons. All participants were subjected to full general and neurological examination. Brain imaging CT and/or MRI was performed. Blood samples were collected for measurement of serum level of vitamin D (ng/ml) by ELISA, alkaline phosphatase, serum calcium, and phosphorous. The stroke severity was assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and stroke outcome was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results: Stroke patients had significant lower levels of vitamin D compared with the control group. Vitamin D deficiency remained significantly associated with the NIHSS stroke severity score and the mRS 3-month stroke outcome after controlling for other significant factors such as age, dyslipidemia, and infarction size using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that stroke patients suffer from vitamin D deficiency, which was associated with both stroke severity and poor outcome. Vitamin D supplementation could exert a therapeutic role in the management of cerebral stroke.

No abstract

No abstract

BackgroundSpontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a serious infection of ascitic fluid in cirrhotic patients. High mortality associated with the delay in diagnosis and treatment. There is a need for an accurate and a rapid method for SBP diagnosis. ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate ascitic fluid calprotectin as a diagnostic marker for SBP. Patients and methodsForty four cirrhotic patients were divided into two groups, non-SBP group: 22 patients with cirrhotic ascites without evidence of SBP and SBP group: 22 patients with cirrhotic ascites and SBP diagnosed by positive ascitic fluid bacterial culture and an increase in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) count in ascites (≥250 cells/mm 3 ). Ascitic fluid calprotectin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ResultsThere was a significant increase of ascitic fluid calprotectin, total leukocytic count, PMNLs, lactate dehydrogenase, and total protein in SBP group when compared to non-SBP group. There were significant positive correlations between white blood cell, ascitic fluid total leukocytic count, PMNLs, total protein, and model for endstage liver disease score values and ascitic fluid calprotectin among SBP group. Ascitic fluid calprotectin with cutoff value 620 ng/ml, showed a sensitivity of 90.91% and a specificity of 95.45%, in diagnosis of SBP with positive predictive value 95.2% and negative predictive value 91.3%. ConclusionAscitic fluid calprotectin may be valuable in rapid diagnosis of SBP.