The ATT in type 2 female diabetic patients was found to be higher than their non-diabetic controls, but no significant difference could be found between type 2 diabetic male patients and their non-diabetic controls by US. Our results might indicate a possible impact of diabetes on the ATT depending upon gender, but other mechanisms may also contribute to thickening of Achilles tendon.

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a cell surface receptor of immunoglobulin superfamily and is highly expressed in the lung tissue. 1 The lung tissue is directly exposed to cigarette smoke in smokers, and the cigarette smoke has been shown to elevate RAGE expression in cultured cells and in the lung tissues of animals. 2 Some of the diseases prevalent among cigarette smokers, particularly atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and cancer, have also been shown to be linked with RAGE signalling. 3 A soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE), which is a splice variant of full-length RAGE or a shedding/cleavage product of membrane-bound RAGE, has been found circulating in the plasma. The sRAGE has been considered to be protective against diseases originating from RAGE activation since sRAGE can bind and sequester RAGE ligands, and thereby, can reduce RAGE activation. 3 On the contrary, a pro-inflammatory role of sRAGE has also been described. 4,5 We therefore asked in the present study, whether sRAGE level is altered in cigarette smokers and is associated with smoking habit in non-diabetic healthy subjects.A total of 98 non-diabetic, otherwise healthy, male subjects were recruited from the employees of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, after giving written consent. The study was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the institutional ethical review committee. A fasting blood sample and medical history including detail history of cigarette smoking were collected. Subjects who reported AbstractThis study was designed to explore the relationship between serum levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and cigarette smoking in non-diabetic healthy subjects. A total of 98 non-diabetic, otherwise healthy male subjects were recruited. A fasting blood sample and medical history including detail history of cigarette smoking was collected. The serum sRAGE levels were found significantly higher (p=0.002) in cigarette smokers (1475±422 pg/ml, n=45) compared with non-smokers (1165±350 pg/ml, n=53). Moreover, among the cigarette smokers, serum sRAGE levels were found significantly correlated with number of cigarettes smoked per day (r=0.60, p<0.001). In bivariate analysis in the total population, sRAGE positively correlated with smoking habit (r=0.37, p=0.002) and negatively correlated with systolic (r=-0.32, p=0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (r=-0.36, p=0.003). However, in stepwise multivariate linear regression model, sRAGE showed a significant independent association with smoking habit (b=0.32, p=0.007, R 2 =0.23).In conclusion, this study for the first time shows a significant elevation of serum sRAGE in cigarette smokers compared with non-smokers, a strong correlation between sRAGE and number of cigarettes smoked per day and an independent association of sRAGE with smoking habit in non-diabetic healthy subjects.

Serum and CSF-Zn simultaneously decreased in FS children in comparison to their matched NSF peers. Further prospectively designed multicentral studies are recommended to conduct in geographically diverse regions involving larger sample to confirm or refute our findings. It remains crucial in standardizing/strengthening national seizure prevention protocol with adequate Zn supplementation.

Although cord hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume were not affected by maternal anemia, increased cord serum erythropoietin levels related to low maternal hemoglobin levels suggest an induced fetal erythropoiesis in maternal anemia.

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