Aim: The research was aimed to analyze a level of triglycerides in blood serum as a possible new marker of toxicity, particularly in patients with excess body weight, receiving cisplatin. Materials and Methods: Study involved 20 oncological patients with stage III lung cancer, who received palliative treatment with cisplatin. High-performance liquid chromatography was used for quantitative determination of pure cisplatin in urine and blood samples. Cisplatin concentration of the test samples was determined based on the data obtained from the calibration graph. Results: Quantitative determination of pure cisplatin is quite complicated. The elimination half-time for one of the groups was observed higher almost by half than for other patients. Higher dose of cisplatin showed a significant association with increase in triglyceride levels. We found a close correlation between body mass index and triglyceride changes during chemotherapy (p = 0.001; r = 0.67). The results indicate that a higher body mass index gives higher fluctuations of triglyceride levels in blood serum. Analyses of correlation between level of triglycerides and elimination half-time show that by an increase in the level of triglycerides in the blood serum cisplatin elimination half-time is prolonged (R2 Linear = 0.596). Cisplatin concentration in urine is higher and elimination takes longer time at elevated levels of triglycerides, where close correlation between fraction of excreted substance in urine and concentration parameters was seen (p < 0.01). Also good correlation for body mass index with fraction of excreted substance in urine and concentration parameters was observed (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Clearance of cisplatin, which was determined by the chromatographic method, is reduced in individuals with increased adipose tissue mass. Research data suggest that overweight affects cisplatin elimination from the body. The greater body fat mass can contribute to a greater rise of triglyceride level in blood serum. Triglycerides in blood plasma may serve as an additional indicator of higher cisplatin toxicity as a cardiotoxicity marker.
This study explored new possibilities for measuring the sense of belonging to the country and investigated predictors of the sense of belonging to Latvia. Focusing on students’ sense of belonging to the country is explained by two reasons: 1) emigration is the main factor of depopulation in Latvia; 2) students’ intention to emigrate is the highest among other social groups. Studies in the field of community psychology present models of the sense of community and explore intentions to stay in a particular place. Within a new model, different levels of social systems (from meso- to macro-system) were included into the analysis of predictors of the sense of belonging to the country. The participants were 205 university students from 18 to 30 (67% females). On the basis of previous studies, a new measure of the sense of belonging and perceived context was developed. The results confirmed a complex model of the sense of belonging in the context of social systems. Higher perceived opportunities at the level of the country and more positive evaluation of the future of Latvia predicted higher level of the sense of belonging to Latvia directly. In addition, female students perceived higher level of the sense of belonging than male students.
The satisfaction of the need to belong reflects in the sense of being an integrative part of the group or social system. There is some lack of empirical evidence for the structure of this sense at the macro level. This study assessed a two-dimensional model of the sense of belonging to the country, which included relational and spatiotemporal components. Participants were 539 university students from 18 to 50 (74% females). Questions regarding involvement, perceived acceptance, sense of commonality, and feeling at home represented the relational component of the sense of belonging. Four temporal categories—the recent past, present, and the near and distant future—were included in the assessment of its spatiotemporal component. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable fit of the two-factor model. Its convergent validity was demonstrated by the association with an explicit single-item measure of belonging. The predictive effect of the spatiotemporal component emphasized the importance of continuity of belonging in considering emigration. In sum, the results confirmed the complexity of the sense of belonging to the country and the interconnectedness of integrative relationships and spatiotemporal commitment and revealed functional differences between them.
Background Studies on a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) show the elevation of liver enzymes and liver fibrosis index (FIB-4) independently on pre-existing liver diseases. It points to increased liver fibrogenesis during acute COVID-19 with possible long-term consequences. This study aimed to assess liver fibrosis in COVID-19 patients by serum hyaluronic acid (HA) and FIB-4. Methods The study included the acute COVID-19 group (66 patients, 50% females, mean age 58.3 ± 14.6), the post-COVID group (58 patients in 3–6 months after the recovery, 47% females, mean age 41.2 ± 13.4), and a control group (17 people, 47% females, mean age 42.8 ± 11.0). Ultrasound elastography was performed in the post-COVID and control groups. Results Sixty-five percent of the acute COVID-19 group had increased FIB-4 (> 1.45), and 38% of patients had FIB-4 ≥ 3.25. After matching by demographics, 52% of acute COVID-19 and 5% of the post-COVID group had FIB-4 > 1.45, and 29% and 2% of patients had FIB-4 ≥ 3.25, respectively. Increased serum HA (≥ 75 ng/ml) was observed in 54% of the acute COVID-19 and 15% of the post-COVID group. In the acute COVID-19 group, HA positively correlated with FIB-4, AST, ALT, LDH, IL-6, and ferritin and negatively with blood oxygen saturation. In the post-COVID group, HA did not correlate with FIB-4, but it was positively associated with higher liver stiffness and ALT. Conclusion More than half of acute COVID-19 patients had increased serum HA and FIB-4 related to liver function tests, inflammatory markers, and blood oxygen saturation. It provides evidence for the induction of liver fibrosis by multiple factors during acute COVID-19. Findings also indicate possible liver fibrosis in about 5% of the post-COVID group.
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