More than billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient. It is recognized to have function in bone and muscle development by regulating calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Its role as an immune modulator has recently been discovered. Deficiency of vitamin D has been discovered to be associated with various cardiovascular, infectious, malignant, hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Prevalence of hypothyroidism and hypovitaminosis D in Bangladesh is not known but supposed to be high because our neighbor country India has high prevalence. Vitamin D mediates its effect through binding to vitamin D receptor (VDR) and activation of VDR- responsive genes. VDR gene polymorphism was found to be associated with autoimmune thyroid diseases. On the other way hypothyroidism either decreases the metabolism of vitamin D or prevents to activate it. A total of 38 adult hypothyroid otherwise healthy patients and age, sex, BMI, socioeconomic status matched euthyroid adults were included in the study. The mean age in the hypothyroid group was 37.82 ± 7.95 years and in the euthyroid group was 34.84 ± 8.61 years. Male participants were14 and female participants were 24 in each group. The mean value of serum vitamin D of healthy group was 17.11 ± 5.62 ng/ml  and in hypothyroid patients was 13.16 ± 4.29 ng/ml., Hypothyroid patients had significantly lower levels of serum Vitamin D3 as compared to controls (p =0.037,<0.05). Negative correlation was observed between serum TSH and serum vitamin D (r=-.119, p=.034), moderate positive correlation was observed between serum FT4 and serum vitamin D ((r=0.457, p=0.01, P<0.05). Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 22(1): 47-52, Jan 2019

Objective: Worldwide, osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is a common public health problem. The measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) of spine and hip using central dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the most standard technique to diagnose osteoporosis. But in many circumstances, measurement of spine or hip BMD is quite difficult to carry out where wrist BMD can be used as an alternative. Moreover, wrist BMD can be done with smaller, cheaper, portable peripheral devices for screening osteoporosis at primary health care level. The objective of the study was to explore the agreement of wrist BMD with spine and hip BMD in postmenopausal women. Patients and Methods: This observational, cross sectional study was carried out at National Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (NINMAS), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) campus, from July 2017 to June 2018. A total of 110 postmenopausal women referred to NINMAS for BMD measurement were enrolled in this study after fulfilling selection criteria.  BMD of spine, right and left hip and wrist of enrolled subjects were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan by Stratos DR Bone densitometer. Results:  Agreement analysis done by kappa statistics revealed kappa value of 0.930 (p<0.05), 0.782 (p<0.05) and 0.635 (p<0.05) between wrist and spine BMD, wrist and right hip BMD and wrist and left hip BMD, respectively. In Bland-Altman analysis, the mean difference of T-score measured by wrist and spine was -0.007 ± 1.361, wrist and right hip was -0.645 ± 1.271 and wrist and left hip was -0.450 ± 1.259 with 95% of differences were found in between -2.674 and 2.660, -3.136 and 1.846 and -2.917 and 2.017, respectively. Positive significant Pearson’s correlation was observed between wrist BMD and spine BMD (r=0.664; p=0.001), wrist BMD and right hip BMD (r=0.719; p=0.001) and wrist BMD and left hip BMD (r=0.727; p=0.001). Conclusion: This study results showed an excellent kappa agreement between wrist and spine BMD with good kappa agreement of wrist with right and left hip BMD as well as in Bland-Altman analysis, the mean differences of T-score between wrist andspine, wrist and right hip and wrist and left hip were small. The biases between the methods were considered not significant suggesting that these sites can be used interchangeably for measurement of BMD. Hence, wrist BMD can be used with regular skeletal sites (spine and hip) as an effective method of diagnosing osteopenia and osteoporosis by DXA where spine or hip BMD is difficult to carry out as well as it can be used for osteoporosis screening at primary health care level by portable peripheral DXA device to initiate early treatment to reduce fracture risks. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 22(1): 41-46, Jan 2019

<p><strong>Objective</strong>: This interventional study has undertaken to assess the gonadal function of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients within reproductive age group following single dose of radioactive iodine (131I) therapy/ablation.</p><p><strong>Patients and Methods:<em> </em></strong>A total of 69 patients (25 male and 44 female) of DTC were included in this study, those were referred for 131I ablation after total thyroidectomy. Following RAI, these patients were followed-up three times at three months interval.  The usual I-131 dose was 75 or 100 m Ci for ablation of thyroid residues and 150 mCi for treatment of nodal metastasis. All the patients were interviewed about menstrual (female only) and reproductive history and investigated of the level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone of male patients and FSH, LH, estradiol (E₂) of female patients before administration of  131I and three, six and nine months after therapy.</p><p><strong>Result</strong>: In this study all of the 25 (100.0%) male patients showed high FSH level after three months of therapy. The mean± SD FSH level of male patients was found significantly (p-0.001) higher (15.59±7.53 IU/L) after three months of therapy than the pretherapy (4.85±2.57 IU/L) level.  The mean± SD of FSH level was significantly declining in six months and nine months of follow up. The mean± SD of LH hormone level of these patients was found 6.1±3.67 IU/L in pretherapy which was significantly increased to 7.67±4.33 IU/L after three months. The mean LH level was 7.20±3.98 IU/L at six months follow up and 7.3±3.5IU/L after nine months. The differences of LH level between 3 months to 6 months and 6 months to 9 months are not statistically significant. No significant change was observed in testosterone level throughout the study period. In female, five patients developed irregular menstruation (changed duration of cycle or lighter amount), three patients developed amenorrhea associated with hot flashes within six months of 131I administration. Biochemical study of the patients with amenorrhoea showed markedly elevated serum FSH, LH level and declined E₂level. The FSH, LH levels of the two patients with amenorrhea became normal within study period and one patient had persistent amenorrhea at 9 months. E₂ level raised slowly.</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: A single dose of radio-iodine (131I) therapy causes impairment of gonadal function of male patients within reproductive age group. In case of female patients the effect is insignificant. The effect is usually reversible and gonadal function of the patients restores within the study period.</p><p>Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 19(2): 92-97, July 2016  </p>

Objectives: Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is an important parameter of kidney function. Many methods are used to measure GFR namely: inulin clearance, double plasma sample method (DPSM), Gates’ method, and equation based method. DPSM has become the gold standard in clinical research. Gates’ method is routinely practiced at National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences. Chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI ) equation is encouraged as it is simple and reliable. The aim of the study was assesment of agreement between Gates’ method and CKD-EPI equation with plasma sample method for estimation of GFR. Patients and methods: This cross sectional observational study was carried out at NINMAS, during July 2017 to June 2018. A total of 70 subjects referred for 99mTC-DTPA renography along with GFR estimation, were included in this study. Result: The mean GFR value evaluated by DPSM, Gates’ and CKD-EPI  equation were, 81.86 ± 22.42, 86.13 ± 26.70 and 78.48 ± 23.87 mL/min/1.73 m2 respectively. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.922) was found between DPSM and Gates’ method and also between DPSM and CKD-EPI equation (r= 0.930). The Gates’ and CKD-EPI equation also showed strong positive correlation (r = 0.872). The mean difference between DPSM and Gates’, between DPSM and CKD-EPI equation,  between Gates’ and CKD-EPI equation were 4.26 ± 10.45, 3.38 ± 8.78  and  7.64 ± 13.09 mL/min/1.73 m2 respectively. Conclusion: Strong positive correlation and excellent agreement were observed between DPSM and Gates’ and also between DPSM and CKD-EPI equation. Strong correlation was also found in between Gates’ and CKD-EPI equation. So, DPSM, Gates’ method and CKD-EPI equation can reflect GFR almost equally and used interchangeably. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Med. 22(1): 36-40, Jan 2019