Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease that has a potential of causing cardiovascular illness. Cardiac outcomes of COVID-19 mainly include acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, and left ventricular dysfunction. However, pericardial involvement is very rare. Here, we present a case of pericarditis and pericardial effusion in a known hypertensive COVID-19 patient. Our case was a diagnostic dilemma as the literature review mentioned that cardiovascular manifestations are mostly reported in symptomatic and critically ill patients of COVID-19. However, this patient has no viral respiratory illness, and is otherwise healthy.

Objective: The study was performed to investigate the association of hypertension in pregnancy with prostasin gene polymorphism in Pakistani females. Methods: This case-control study was performed at University of Karachi, Pakistan from April 2018 to May 2019. A total of 160 females, including 90 hypertensives and 70 healthy pregnant females, were recruited by purposive sampling after obtaining informed written consent. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results: The frequencies of the TC and CC genotypes were higher in hypertensive pregnant females compared to healthy controls. A significant difference was evident for CC (P=0.012) genotype; however, no significant difference was observed for TC (P=0.49) and TT genotypes (P=0.06) between control and hypertensive groups. The adjusted odds ratio for CC genotype was 6.2 (P=0.025) and 1.48 (P=0.44) for TC genotype compared to the TT genotype. There was a significantly higher prevalence of the C allele of the prostasin gene at rs12597511 in the hypertensive group, suggesting that this allele is a risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: C allele at rs12597511 of prostasin gene demonstrate as a risk factor for having hypertension in pregnancy. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3666 How to cite this:Ejaz S, Ali A, Riffat S, Azim K, Mahmood A. Genetic polymorphism of the prostasin gene in hypertensive pregnant Pakistani females. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):109-113. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3666 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Background and Aim: With the advancing of age knee osteoarthritis has become the common musculoskeletal condition among males and females, various treatment strategies have been applied to improve the patient symptoms therefore the aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of low resistance versus high resistance exercises along with stretching exercises on pain, physical function, & walking time in knee osteoarthritis. Methodology: Considering the pre-assessment inclusion criteria, a total no of 170 participants were enrolled in the study and divided into 5 groups by random apportion. Group A received a high resistance exercise, group B received low resistance exercises, group C high resistance exercises and stretching exercises, group D low resistance exercises and stretching exercises and group E received only stretching exercises for 3 weeks. After that pain, function and walking time were reassessed. Study Design: Experimental study, randomized control trial. Results: The intergroup results were significant with a p-value of <0.001. We assumed that all 5 groups’ interventions in the current study show a clinically meaningful reduction in pain and enhanced the level of functional activities. Effects of various exercise training are the same in all groups. Therefore, no significant difference has been noted. Conclusion: The all 5 groups’ high resistance exercise along with stretching, low resistance exercise along with stretching, high resistance exercise, low resistance exercise, and stretching exercise reduced pain and improved functional activity in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To find out the prevalence of congenital birth defects among the pediatric patients of Sialkot. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the pediatrics medicine, pediatric surgery and obstetrics ward of Khawaja Muhammad Safdar Medical College and hospital Sialkot Pregnant women irrespective of the parity were enrolled in the study. Demographic variables, detailed history and examination before and after delivery were noted on a preformed proforma. The data was entered and analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The mean age of the pregnant mothers included in the study was 25.45 ± 5.12 The most common age group affected was having age more than 30 years (58.1%) and majority were multiparous (52.4%). Cousin marriage was the most common factor leading to birth defects among their children and the result was significant (p-value ≤0.05). The prevalence of congenital birth defect was 14.7%. The cleft palate was the most common anomaly followed by hydrocephalus, cleft lip, down syndrome, polydactyly, undescended testes, club foot, microcephaly, meningyomyelocele, ambiguous genitalia and bradydactyly. Conclusion: The prevalence of congenital birth defect was 14.7% and cleft palate was the most common anomaly followed by hydrocephalus and down syndrome. The most common associated factor was cousin marriages.

Background: The significance of vitamin D deficiency in the progress of menstrual disorders in women is a topic of great interest in studies. Several studies have found that taking an increased vitamin D supplement can help restore the menstrual cycle. Aim: To investigate the relationship between vitamin D and menstrual cycle irregularity. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum vitamin D levels were measured in 150 outpatient women with menstrual disorders (n=75), compared to women with comparable profiles (n=75) with symptoms other than menstrual disorders compared. Results: A decreased level of vitamin D was associated with a 13.3 times odds of an irregular cycle (95% CI): p < 0.001). 25-hydroxy vitamin D was not associated with age or body mass index. We found a significant difference (p < 0.001) in mean vitamin D levels among the females with irregular cycles vs. regular cycles Practical implication:There is scarcity of literature on vitamin D and menstrual periods so current study assessed the relationship between vitamin D and menstrual cycle irregularity in womens. Conclusion: Lower 25(OH)D levels are linked to irregular menstrual cycles. Our findings indicate that vitamin D has an effect on the reproductive axis, which has wider scope for reproductive potential. Keywords: Menstrual disturbances, Ovulation, Vitamin D deficiency, polycystic ovarian syndrome.