Background Diabetes is a huge problem affecting 387 million adults by a global prevalence of (8.3%) which is expected to rise to (10.1%) affecting 592 million adults by 2035. Type 2 diabetes, a growing public health problem, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Purpose To evaluate the effects of ginger powder supplementation on glycemic status, lipid profile, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function in obese Egyptian patients with new-onset type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Patients and Methods This study was conducted at the Diabetes outpatient clinic of the National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIDE) during the period from January 2016 to January 2017. Study Design A randomized, single blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, was performed on 80 subjects newly diagnosed with T2DM. Subjects were randomly & equally subdivided into two groups: Group 1: Ginger Group (GG), which consumed three capsules daily, each capsule containing: 600-mg of ginger powder (total daily dose was 1.8 g), they also underwent certain diet and physical activity changes, and also received metformin as one 850-mg tablet twice a day with meals for a duration of 8 weeks.Group 2: Placebo Group (PG), which received capsules of the same color, size, and number as (Group 1) but containing wheat flour, they also underwent the same diet, physical activity, and metformin dosage as (Group 1) during the 8 weeks of the study. Results Ginger powder supplementation significantly reduced body mass index, fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting insulin levels, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA2-IR). Ginger also significantly increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, beta cell function index (HOMA2-%β), and insulin sensitivity index (HOMA2-%S). Conclusion Ginger is considered a safe and effective adjuvant antidiabetic agent in treatment of T2DM; improving glycemic status, lipid profile, insulin resistance, and promoting weight loss.

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Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and absolute eosinophil count (AEC) were assayed in 48 children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and 20 controls. The mean serum IgE (p < 0.001) and AEC (p < 0.05) were significantly raised in active nephrotic syndrome compared with controls. The mean values of IgE and AEC in nephrotic patients were 228.6 and 164.5 per cent of the normal mean, respectively. The serum IgE and AEC were significantly abnormal in all the subgroups (first attack, infrequent, and frequent relapsers), except AEC in infrequent relapses, when compared with the controls. No significant differences in the parameters were observed among the different subgroups of cases. In remission, the mean IgE and AEC were unchanged in comparison with their corresponding values at diagnosis. Thus, the levels are raised not only in active but also in remission, reflecting abnormal immune status even in the disease-free state.

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Background: Solitary thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem. None of sonographic features is sufficient to discard or detect malignancy efficiently. Midkine is a novel heparin-binding growth factor, plays critical roles in carcinogenesis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum midkine levels in patients with solitary thyroid nodules to predict malignancy. Methods: A total of 100 patients who had solitary thyroid nodules were enrolled in the study. Serum midkine levels were measured. Fine needle aspiration cytology was done to all nodules (25 suspicious/ malignant and 75 benign). Results: Serum midkine levels were significantly higher in patients who had nodules with the following sonographic features; hypoechoic nodules compared to isoechoic and hyperechoic nodules (P=0.024), nodules with microcalcification compared to nodules with macrocalcification or without calcification (P = 0.011), nodules with irregular borders compared to nodules with regular borders (P = 0.014) and nodules more than 2 cm in length than shorter ones (P = 0.011). Serum midkine levels were also higher in nodules with absent halo compared to those with clear halo but with no significant difference (P = 0.660). Also, levels of serum medikine were significantly higher in suspicious/ malignant nodules than in benign nodules (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Serum midkine can predict malignancy in solitary thyroid nodule and also well correlated with sonographic features of thyroid nodules. We suggest that midkine levels may serve as a novel biochemarker in association with sonographic features in evaluation of solitary thyroid nodules.