We report a long term study on the effectiveness of chronic GnRH agonist treatment on final or near-final height in 26 patients (20 females and six males) with true precocious puberty (TPP). This study differs from other treatment studies in that the median age at onset of therapy was 4.7 yr for females and 6.2 yr for males, the youngest cohort of treated patients reported to date. We compared patients treated with GnRH agonists who attained final or near-final height with a historical control group of untreated children with TPP (n = 116) matched for mean age of pubertal onset, etiology of TPP (idiopathic or neurogenic), rate of progression, and sex ratio. The current mean height of GnRH agonist-treated females who began therapy at more than 5 yr of age (157.6 +/- 6.6 cm) is already significantly greater than the mean final height of untreated females (152.7 +/- 8.6 cm). The current mean predicted height of the treated females is 164.6 +/- 9.7 cm. The current mean height of females whose treatment was started before 5 yr of age is greater (164.1 +/- 7.7 cm) than that of females whose treatment began after 5 yr of age (157.6 +/- 6.6 cm). The final height of untreated children whose age of sexual precocity was less than 5 yr at diagnosis is significantly less than that of treated patients who were less than 5 yr when they developed TPP (P = 0.0006). The current mean height of GnRH agonist-treated males is 166.3 +/- 12.2 cm, and the current mean predicted height is 170.8 +/- 11.3 cm. This is in sharp contrast to the mean final height of untreated males (155.6 +/- 7.7 cm). The current predicted height correlates negatively with the age at initiation of treatment and the initial bone age and positively with height SD for bone age in the agonist-treated children. The current mean height deviation from target height is significantly less in the 20 treated females (-1 SD) than in 93 untreated females (-2.4 SD; P = 0.006). The mean final height deviation from target height in 23 untreated males (-3.7 SD) is significantly greater than the current height deviation from target height in 6 treated males (-1.7 SD; P = 0.03). The salutary effects of long term GnRH agonist therapy on stature are more clear-cut in the younger treated children. Young untreated children may have the worst outcome with respect to final height.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Postoperative hypocalcaemia is the most frequent and common complication after total thyroidectomy. It is necessary to diagnose or to predict hypocalcaemia immediately after total thyroidectomy for minimizing complications. A prospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Clinical Pathology in collaboration with Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Department of Otolaryngology, Dhaka Medical College & Hospital (DMC&H), Dhaka, during the period of September 2010 to August 2011 to evaluate intraoperative (20 minutes after total thyroidectomy) parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurement as a predictor of post thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia. Total 65 patients were enrolled in this study those came for total thyroidectomy. Postoperative hypocalcaemia developed in 25 cases. Intraoperative PTH was assessed and significant correlation was found between intraoperative PTH level and development of hypocalcaemia. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of intraoperative serum PTH for prediction of post total thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia were 84.0%, 85.0%, 84.6%, 77.8%, and 89.5% respectively. Because of the high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of intraoperative serum PTH of this study, the early prediction of hypocalcaemia could be made by single assay of intraoperative serum PTH level at 20 minutes after total thyroidectomy.

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin and considered as a major threat to TB control worldwide. Limited data are available regarding risk factors and serum zinc status of MDR-TB in Bangladesh. Tuberculosis is a disease which blocks a key part of the body’s immune defense. As zinc deficiency causes immune suppression, we assume that it may play a role in the development of MDR-TB. So, this study was carried out to evaluate and assess the serum zinc level as well as different risk factors in patients of MDR-TB. This case control study was carried out in the Department of Clinical Pathology, in collaboration with Department of Public Health and Informatics, Department of Biochemistry, BSMMU and National tuberculosis referral laboratory (NTRL) in NIDCH, Mohakhali, Dhaka from March’ 2012 to February 2013.We enrolled 50 newly diagnosed cases of MDR-TB patients from NTRL and 50 age matched healthycontrols from a selective community Sirajdikhan Upazilla, Munshiganj District. The two groups were compared based on various demographic factors, behavioral factors, factors related with personal illness history and also laboratory related factors. Serum zinc deficiency, changing trend of number of family members, presence of smoking history, absence of BCG scar and past history of contact TB were statistically significant risk factors for development of MDR-TB in logistic regression model. In our study, we found the mean (SD) serum zinc level in case group 60.40 (8.91) ?g/dL and 84.00 (13.62) ?g/dL in healthy controls which was significant statistically. The risk factors that we found, specially lower level of serum zinc, are the major concern for the development of MDR-TB and attempt to minimize them might contribute to control TB DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v43i1.21368 Bangladesh Med J. 2014 January; 43 (1): 3-8

The incidence rate and mortality of coronary artery disease is obviously higher in men than in women, which may be related to the influence of serum testosterone. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Laboratory Medicine in collaboration with Department of Cardiology, BSMMU and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka from March 2020 to February 2021 to investigate the association of serum testosterone with coronary artery disease in young adult males in Bangladesh. Total 110 subjects from inpatient Department of Cardiology were enrolled, 60 were CAD patients and 50 were Normal Coronaries according to coronary angiography report. In this study, 60 patients with coronary artery disease were compared with 50 normal coronary subjects. Mean age in CAD group and normal coronaries was 37.72±2.73 and 37.48±2.54 years respectively. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were significantly higher in CAD group. Total testosterone levels of CAD were significantly lower than those of normal coronaries (2.11±0.81ng/ml vs 2.94±0.78ng/ml). Among 60 CAD patients, 10 patients had single vessel disease, 17 patients had double vessel disease and 33 patients had triple vessel disease. There was significant association between the level of total testosterone and the number of affected vessels within CAD group (p=0.1). This study also showed that total testosterone level was negatively correlated with Gensini score. Serum total testosterone was significantly lower in patients with CAD compared to normal coronaries. Patients with lower total testosterone levels had higher Gensini score. Low level of total testosterone may be related to the develop- ment of coronary artery disease. BSMMU J 2021; 14(3): 67-73

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death in the world and also in Bangladesh. This study was carried out to evaluate that Serum uric acid is a prognostic tool in acute myocardial infarction. In this study, 108 AMI cases were enrolled. All the patients were treated and managed identically by conventional standard management protocol. During hospital stay, patients were assessed for any kind of clinical outcomes e.g good recovery, mortality and morbidity (acute LVF, cardiogenic shock, arrhythmia and heart block). Patients with higher serum uric acid (SUA>6.5mg%, Group-II) were compared with Patients with lower serum uric acid (SUA<6.5mg%, Group-I). In Group I (n=66), good recovery, morbidity and mortality were found in 43 (65.2%), 21 (31.8%), 2(3.0%) patients and in Group II (n=42), good recovery, morbidity, mortality were 13 (31%), 23 (54.8%) and 6 (14.3%) patients respectively. In group II patients having high Serum uric acid concentration had low good recovery but high morbidity and mortality compared to group I patients. In group I (n=66), good outcome and bad outcome was found in 43(65.2%), and 23 (34.8%) patients and in group II (n=42), those were in 13 (31%) and 29 (69%) patents. Logistic regression analysis of serum uric acid concentration of study subjects were done considering uric acid as independent variable but outcome as dependent variable. It was shown that the odds ratio of mortality was 5.38(95% CI p<0.007), odds ratio of morbidity was 4.10(95% CI p<0.001) and odds ratio of bad outcome was 4.67(95% CI p<0.001). This findings indicates a patient having high uric acid had 5.38 times increased mortality, 4.10 times increased morbidity and 4.67 times increased bad outcome than patients having low serum uric acid concentration.University Heart Journal Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2016; 8-11

Postoperative hypocalcemia is the most frequent and common complication after total thyroidectomy. It is necessary to diagnose hypocalcemia immediately after total thyroidectomy for minimizing complications. The objective of this study was to measure and to evaluate the serum calcium level in total thyroidectomy patients. This prospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Clinical Pathology in collaboration with Department of Surgery & Department of Otolaryngology of BSMMU and Department of Otolaryngology of DMCH, Dhaka, during the period of September 2010 to August 2011. Total 65 patients were enrolled those came for total thyroidectomy irrespective of age and sex. Hypocalcemia was found in 25 cases and normocalcemia was found in 40 cases. Male were 16.0% and female were 84.0%. Females were predominant. The incidence of hypocalcemia was 38.5%. Asymptomatic hypocalcemia was found in 22 and symptomatic hypocalcemia was found in 3 cases. Hypocalcemia was developed mostly in malignant thyroid diseases. The mean difference of intraoperative (20 minutes after total thyroidectomy), after 24 hours and after 48 hours calcium levels were statistically significant (p<0.05) between patient with hypocalcemia and patient with normocalcemia in unpaired t-test. Serum calcium level significantly decreased after total thyroidectomy and most critical time is first 24 hours of post-thyroidectomy period. If clinical sign symptoms of hypocalcemia are not developed in this period, patient is safe and can be discharged from hospital.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v4i1.13775 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2011; 4(1): 4-9

Increased gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) is