Anaemia is a major public health problem that has affected around 25% of the world's population. An analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 313 female undergraduates residing in hostels of University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, during year 2011. Objective of this study was to determine prevalence and contributing factors to anaemia among the study population. Haemoglobin concentration was assayed using cyanomethaemoglobin method. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to retrieve information regarding dietary habits and personal factors of participants. Descriptive statistical methods, chi-square test, and independent sample t-test were used to analyze data. Of the 302 females, 17.5% (n = 53) had mild anaemia and 7.9% (n = 24) had moderate anaemia. Severely anaemic individuals were not observed. Participants' dietary habits and personal factors were not significantly associated with prevalence of anaemia (whether a participant is a vegetarian or not (P = 0.525), drinking tea within one hour of a meal (P = 0.775), frequency of consumption of red meat, fish, and eggs (P = 0.499), antihelminthic treatment within past year (P = 0.792), and menorrhagia (P = 0.560)). Anaemia in the study population is below the average for Sri Lankan data. Diet and selected medical conditions were not a causative factor for anaemia in this population.

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Phosphatidate phosphatase-1 (lipin-1) is encoded by LPIN1 gene. Lipin-1 deficiency has been reported as the second most common cause of early-onset rhabdomyolysis after primary fatty acid oxidation disorders. We report a case of a 32-year-old Sri Lankan female with a history of more than 10 episodes of rhabdomyolysis and exercise intolerance since childhood. These episodes were triggered by infections and exercise. A temporal relationship between the acute episodes and use of drugs such as theophylline, mefenamic acid, co-trimoxazole, and combined oral contraceptive pills was also noted. There was marked elevation of serum creatine kinase and transaminases during acute episodes. Family history revealed parental consanguinity and an affected sibling who died of an acute episode associated with muscle weakness, dark coloured urine, and cyanosis, at the age of 2 years. The histochemical findings of the patient under discussion were consistent with a metabolic myopathy affecting membrane integrity. A homozygous, likely pathogenic variant c.1684G>T encoding p.(Glu562∗) was identified by clinical exome sequencing. Even though the studies to date give no convincing evidence of a possible causal or contributory relationship between the drugs under discussion and lipin-1 related rhabdomyolysis, this case highlights the importance of pharmacovigilance and reporting adverse drug reactions in patients with lipin-1 deficiency.

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BackgroundGlutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) activity was reported to be useful marker for monitoring cardiovascular disease. However, accurate assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) using GPX-1 polymorphism is limited for South Asian population. Present study aim to assess GPX-1activity and GPX-1 polymorphismin patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who were confirmed with coronary angiography findings and in apparently healthy subjects.MethodsCase control study was carried out with 85 patients (58 males and 27 females) 40–60 years of age confirmed as having CAD on coronary angiography findings and 85 age and sex matched healthy volunteers as controls. Blood samples were analyzed for erythrocyte GPX-1 activity and GPX-1 polymorphism in both groups and the severity of CAD was assessed using coronary angiography scoring system based on vessel, stenosis and extent score.ResultsCoronary angiography scores indicated that erythrocyteGPX-1 cutoff value of 23.9 U/gHb showed a high sensitivity and negative predictive value in ruling out major vessel disease. The GPX-1 Pro198Leu (CT) polymorphism was higher in patients with CAD (25.3 %) when compared to controls (10.7 %). Pro198Leu (CT) genotype showed a 2.84 fold risk for CAD [odds ratio 2.84 (95 % CI 1.15–6.98), p = 0.019].ConclusionCoronary angiography findings indicated that individuals possessing Pro198Leu (CT) polymorphism were found to be associated with low erythrocyte GPX-1 activity and increased susceptibility for CAD.