Session - 3 December 19, 2007 Cardiovascular risk markers - II

Oral Cancer is one of the five leading sites of cancer in Indian population. The circulating immune complexes were investigated in 100 serum samples of 60 oral cancer patients having different grades of the disease and 40 patients with precancerous lesions obtained from Nair Hospital Dental collage, Mumbai. The results obtained were compared with those of group of 40 healthy blood donors. Elevated levels of Circulating Immune Complexes were observed in oral cancer patients and patients with oral precancerous lesions. 92% positive samples were observed in well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma whereas 100% positive samples were observed in both moderately and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Oral leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis showed 15% and 90% positivity respectively. Increased level of Circulating Immune complexes in high grade tumor suggest that Circulating Immune complexes is likely to contribute in evaluating the degree of malignancy, but follow up study is needed to draw any conclusion regarding it's prognostic role     

Session - 2 December 19, 2007 Lipid disorders and management of obesity

Serum ferroxidase and albumin levels were determined in 98 patients of tubercuiosis, of whom 49 were freshly diagnosed, sputum positive (group-I) & 49 were completely treated patients (group-II). Forty nine age and sex matched healthy individuals were taken as controls. Mean±SD of serum ferroxidase and albumin levels in controls, group-I and group-II was found to be 864.35±106.35 IU/L & 3.91±0.234 g/dL, 1603.76±222.65 IU/L & 3.24±0.518 g/dL and 1001.78±201.63 IU/L & 3.82±0.43 g/dL, respectively. Serum ferroxidase in group I was significantly higher as compared to controls and group-II (p<0.01). The decreased levels of serum albumin in group I, as compared to control and group-II was statistically significant (p<0.01). Serum ferroxidase: albumin ratio (Ferroxidase in International Unit per gram of albumin) in group I (50.47±10.36 IU/g) was significantly higher than controls (22.22±3.3 IU/g), (p<0.001) while in group II it was significantly lower (26.72±7.18 IU/g, p<0.001) than group-I and close to control values. Serum ferroxidase: albumin ratio (IU/g) can therefore be incorporated as a surrogate marker to assist in diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.     

Session - 5 December 18, 2007 AACC Symposium

The prevalence of abnormal thyroid hormone levels in diabetes mellitus in Nigeria is not well described. To determine the incidence of abnormal thyroid hormone levels in diabetics in Calabar, Nigeria, fasting blood samples from 161 diabetic subjects and 105 non-diabetic controls were analysed. Free thyroxine (FT), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total triiodothyronine (T₃) and total thyroxine (T₄) kits obtained from Biomerica Inc. of USA were used for the analysis. TSH levels (1.80±1.62) in diabetics were significantly lower (p=0.016) than the level in non-diabetic controls (2.34±1.24). Male diabetics had lower (p<0.05) levels of TSH (1.192±0.68 miu/ml) than diabetic females (1.90±1.70 mlu/mt). The level of T₃ in diabetic males (125±97ng/ml) was higher than the level in females (98±75ng/dl). TSH (F=2.74, p=0.049), T₄(F=56.87, p=0.001), T₃(F=56.44, P=0.001) in diabetics and FT₄ (F=5.74, p=0.002) in controls showed significant variation with the ages of the subjects. Out of 161 diabetics subjects studies 26.6% had low plasma thyroid hormone levels (FT₄>2.01 ng/dl). This study has shown a high incidence (46.5%) of abnormal thyroid hormone levels among the diabetics in Nigeria (hypothyroidism 26.6%, hyperthyroidism, 19.9%). The prevalence of hypothyroidism was higher in women (16.8%) than in men (9.9%), while hyperthyroidism was higher in males (11%) than in females (8%). This study has defined thyroid function status of diabetics in Calabar, Nigeria probably the first of such work in Africa.