Search is not available for this dataset
text
stringlengths 1
129k
| id
stringlengths 9
16
| article_id
stringlengths 6
10
| section_title
stringlengths 1
1.26k
| educational_score
float64 0.46
5.16
| domain
stringclasses 3
values | document_type
stringclasses 4
values | domain_scores
sequencelengths 3
3
| document_type_scores
sequencelengths 4
4
| language
stringclasses 42
values | language_score
float64 0
1
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The patients were informed about the surgical procedures to be performed and provided written consent. The research adhered to the ethical principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki. Prior to commencing the study, the necessary approval was sought and obtained from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of …… University Faculty of Medicine. Autograft pterygium surgery was performed under local anesthesia. The pterygium tissue was removed from the cornea surface, and an autograft was taken from the superior bulbar conjunctiva. The graft was then sutured with 8-0 Vicryl onto the scleral bed. During autograft pterygium surgery, conjunctival samples were collected from the upper temporal fornix region of the patients in the control group. | 38648458_p1 | 38648458 | Methods | 3.844963 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9763303399085999,
0.023265032097697258,
0.00040458462899550796
] | [
0.9712570309638977,
0.024281837046146393,
0.0006755272042937577,
0.003785629291087389
] | en | 0.999996 |
The specimens were immersed in containers filled with 10% formalin and then embedded in paraffin. Thin sections measuring 4 µm were extracted from the samples and placed on glass slides with barcodes for identification. Following the process of deparaffinization and rehydration, the sections were subjected to histopathological evaluation through the use of hematoxylin and eosin staining. | 38648458_p2 | 38648458 | Immunohistochemistry | 4.018377 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9992503523826599,
0.0005243247142061591,
0.0002252706472063437
] | [
0.9555733799934387,
0.04263880103826523,
0.001180301420390606,
0.0006075592245906591
] | en | 0.999997 |
We used primary antibodies against CD44 (1:50 dilution) and E-cadherin (1:200 dilution), and a human monoclonal antibody against PCNA (1:100 dilution) for antigen retrieval. Histopathological and immunohistochemical staining findings were reported using a Nikon light microscope and an image analysis system (Nikon Instruments Europe BV). At least 100 cells were counted, including immuno-positive cells, at a 20× magnification in three distinct microscopic areas of the pterygium tissue. The number of stained pixels reflects the intensity of staining of immunopositive cells and can be expressed as a percentage of the entire image pixel amount. The immunoreactivity level was evaluated based on the number of pixels, with fewer than 80 pixels indicating a weak (1+) reaction, 80–200 pixels indicating moderate (2+) reactivity, and more than 200 pixels indicating strong (3+) reactivity. The positivity ratio was evaluated for CD44 and E-cadherin. For CD44, cytoplasmic staining was semi-quantitatively scored from 0 to 3+. For E-cadherin, cell membrane staining intensity was estimated as negative, weak, moderate, or strong. | 38648458_p3 | 38648458 | Immunohistochemistry | 4.128517 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994326233863831,
0.0003504198684822768,
0.00021693222515750676
] | [
0.9992528557777405,
0.00036659400211647153,
0.0003078640147577971,
0.00007272900984389707
] | en | 0.999998 |
For continuous variables, the data were presented as either the mean ± standard deviation or the median with the range (minimum–maximum) displayed. We conducted the Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit test to analyze the normality of the continuous variables. We employed one-way ANOVA to assess the variables that were found to be normally distributed between the three groups and the Kruskal-Wallis test for those that did not conform to normal distribution. Pairwise forward analyses ( post hoc ) were performed with the Bonferroni-corrected Mann-Whitney U test to determine in which group significance originated. The categorical variables were evaluated using the Chi-square test. The analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS version 26.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). Cases in which the Type 1 error level was below 5% were deemed statistically significant. A statistical significance level of P < 0.01 was accepted for the Bonferroni-corrected Mann-Whitney U test. | 38648458_p4 | 38648458 | Statistical analysis | 3.99223 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994131326675415,
0.00027157639851793647,
0.00031539666815660894
] | [
0.9989683628082275,
0.0006347322487272322,
0.0003393446677364409,
0.00005750438867835328
] | en | 0.999997 |
In the control group (group 1), we collected control conjunctiva from 30 patients (16 females and 14 males) with an age range of 48–70 years (mean: 56.66 ± 7.10 years). We collected primary pterygia from 30 patients (17 females and 13 males) aged 48–72 years (mean: 59.13 ± 7.43 years) (group 2) and collected recurrent pterygia from 30 patients (16 males and 14 females) aged 45–73 years (mean: 59.06 ± 7.37 years) (group 3). There were no notable variations observed between the groups regarding age and gender ( P = 0.334 and P = 0.956, respectively). | 38648458_p5 | 38648458 | Results | 3.959591 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9985363483428955,
0.0012081707827746868,
0.00025547537370584905
] | [
0.9991298317909241,
0.0005490658804774284,
0.0001739892759360373,
0.0001471523428335786
] | en | 0.999997 |
We did, however, find significant differences in the percentage of CD44, E-cadherin, and PCNA between the groups ( P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). We observed that the CD44 and PCNA percentages were statistically higher ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) in experimental groups 2 and 3 than in control group 1. Conversely, E-cadherin values were statistically higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 ( P = 0.013 and P < 0.001, respectively). We also determined that the CD44, E-cadherin, and PCNA percentages ( P = 0.022, P = 0.025, and P = 0.074, respectively) were not statistically significantly different between group 2 and group 3 [ Table 1 , Figs. 1 – 3 ]. | 38648458_p6 | 38648458 | Results | 4.076971 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993122816085815,
0.0003409051860217005,
0.00034674888593144715
] | [
0.9995984435081482,
0.00015372135385405272,
0.00020302929624449462,
0.00004481455107452348
] | en | 0.999997 |
This study examined the levels of PCNA, CD44, and E-cadherin in pterygium tissue samples and control conjunctiva. Our results indicated a significant increase in positive PCNA and CD44 rates in the pterygium samples, while the E-cadherin level was significantly lower than in control conjunctival tissue samples. These findings suggest that cell proliferation and loss of cell adhesion are involved in the pathogenesis of pterygium, a disease with tumor-like growth characteristics. | 38648458_p7 | 38648458 | Discussion | 4.109038 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995229244232178,
0.00029847354744561017,
0.00017865416884887964
] | [
0.9994076490402222,
0.00017646842752583325,
0.0003426434413995594,
0.0000732537591829896
] | en | 0.999996 |
Despite being considered benign, pterygium exhibits properties similar to metastatic tissues, including dense cell proliferation, inflammation, cell migration, local angiogenesis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.[ 18 19 20 ] Our research also revealed a lower amount of E-cadherin in pterygium tissues than in control conjunctival tissue. Moreover, we observed no notable difference in E-cadherin levels between primary and recurrent pterygium cases. E-cadherin plays a crucial role in cell adhesion between epithelial cells, and its decreased expression can lead to tumor growth and proliferation, ultimately leading to metastasis. Several studies have shown that low E-cadherin expression increases tumor progression in some types of cancer.[ 22 23 ] | 38648458_p8 | 38648458 | Discussion | 4.118536 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995905756950378,
0.000209882011404261,
0.000199573376448825
] | [
0.9993045330047607,
0.00016303625307045877,
0.00047313678078353405,
0.00005920152034377679
] | en | 0.999995 |
PCNA is a protein associated with cell proliferation and is used as a tumor marker for some types of cancer.[ 24 25 26 ] Our study found that PCNA expression was significantly higher in pterygium samples than in control conjunctiva samples. Cell proliferation plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of pterygium. In the study by Liang et al ., the rates of PCNA and nuclear protein ki-67, another proliferation marker, were higher in pterygium tissue than in normal conjunctiva. PCNA was detected 72.7% in pterygium tissue and 30.4% in normal conjunctival tissue. Studies have shown that ki-67, an important component of the cell cycle, is more abundant in pterygium tissue than in normal conjunctival tissue.[ 28 29 ] | 38648458_p9 | 38648458 | Discussion | 4.092379 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995598196983337,
0.00022220467508304864,
0.00021791910694446415
] | [
0.9994282126426697,
0.0001691827637841925,
0.0003444436297286302,
0.000058105579228140414
] | en | 0.999997 |
Similarly, CD44 is a protein that regulates cellular processes such as cell division, adhesion, and migration. Aside from its usual cellular roles, CD44 has been identified as a significant indicator of the presence of cancer stem cells.[ 30 31 ] Studies have shown that CD44 contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis by promoting the adhesion of tumor cells to endothelial and fibronectin-enriched matrices.[ 32 33 ] | 38648458_p10 | 38648458 | Discussion | 4.064418 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9996228218078613,
0.00014016253408044577,
0.00023698678705841303
] | [
0.9404755234718323,
0.0030639234464615583,
0.05622682720422745,
0.00023377453908324242
] | en | 0.999998 |
The present study had some limitations. As it was not considered ethically appropriate to take conjunctival samples from healthy eyes, we took the control group from the superior bulbar conjunctiva of eyes with pterygium. Another limitation is the small number of cases. | 38648458_p11 | 38648458 | Discussion | 2.158044 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9973725080490112,
0.0010145740816369653,
0.001612975262105465
] | [
0.988655686378479,
0.010243975557386875,
0.0005375186447054148,
0.0005627814680337906
] | en | 0.999997 |
In conclusion, our research provides valuable insights into the pathogenesis of pterygium and the roles of PCNA, CD44, and E-cadherin in this disease. These findings can potentially be used to develop new therapeutic strategies to treat pterygium and prevent relapses. | 38648458_p12 | 38648458 | Conclusion | 3.924962 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9997463822364807,
0.00012322365364525467,
0.0001303449971601367
] | [
0.996160626411438,
0.0014329425757750869,
0.0022682934068143368,
0.00013815844431519508
] | en | 0.999997 |
The study was supported by the Scientific Investigations Foundation of Balikesir University . The research adhered to the ethical principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki. Prior to commencing the study, the necessary approval was sought and obtained from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine. | 38648458_p13 | 38648458 | Financial support and sponsorship | 0.983706 | biomedical | Other | [
0.5418579578399658,
0.006068243645131588,
0.45207375288009644
] | [
0.011190895922482014,
0.9875049591064453,
0.0006296118372119963,
0.0006745069986209273
] | en | 0.999998 |
There are no conflicts of interest. | 38648458_p14 | 38648458 | Conflicts of interest | 0.935876 | other | Other | [
0.02788134478032589,
0.002627168782055378,
0.9694914221763611
] | [
0.007451080251485109,
0.9894022941589355,
0.0018082356546074152,
0.0013383158948272467
] | en | 0.999995 |
A case-control study was conducted on 17 eyes with primary pterygium in patients above 10 years of age attending the cornea services at the tertiary care ophthalmic service in New Delhi. The following grading system was used: | 38324633_p0 | 38324633 | Methods | 2.896642 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9942044615745544,
0.0052086105570197105,
0.0005868805455975235
] | [
0.9932698607444763,
0.004717385396361351,
0.00033605360658839345,
0.001676710438914597
] | en | 0.999997 |
Grade 0: Pingeculum, posterior to the limbus Grade 1: Tissue involvement to the limbus Grade 2: Tissue just onto the limbus Grade 3: Tissue between the limbus and the pupillary margin Grade 4: Tissue central to the pupillary margin. | 38324633_p1 | 38324633 | Methods | 2.978579 | biomedical | Other | [
0.9130558967590332,
0.08232302218675613,
0.004621122498065233
] | [
0.006501033436506987,
0.984086811542511,
0.0004447824030648917,
0.008967375382781029
] | en | 0.999998 |
Cases of recurrent pterygium were excluded from the study. The study period was 12 months. Approval from the institutional ethics committee was taken before starting the study. The study was registered with the Trial Registry of India and followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from the subjects after explanation of the nature of the study. | 38324633_p2 | 38324633 | Methods | 2.00104 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9802238941192627,
0.017534073442220688,
0.002242042450234294
] | [
0.9142971038818359,
0.08123651891946793,
0.0010893322760239244,
0.003377071348950267
] | en | 0.999998 |
A comprehensive ophthalmological workup of both eyes was done, which included a detailed slit-lamp examination to measure the size of pterygium (length and width), conjunctival, and corneal vascularization. Assessment of visual acuity, measurement of the thickness of pterygium over cornea and conjunctiva by AS-OCT (anterior segment optical coherence tomography, REVO60, OPTOPOL technology), and intraocular pressure was also performed in all the patients preoperatively. | 38324633_p3 | 38324633 | Methods | 3.967088 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9626088738441467,
0.03713863343000412,
0.00025246833683922887
] | [
0.976593017578125,
0.013775557279586792,
0.001942471251823008,
0.007689015008509159
] | en | 0.999998 |
All cases were primary pterygium cases in the nasal quadrant. The majority of the samples were grades 2–3 as per the grading system mentioned before. Pterygium excision with the limbal conjunctival autograft technique was performed under peribulbar anesthesia by the same surgeon. | 38324633_p4 | 38324633 | Procedure | 3.053241 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9511833786964417,
0.047935184091329575,
0.0008814252214506269
] | [
0.5933809876441956,
0.34048566222190857,
0.0023606044705957174,
0.06377271562814713
] | en | 0.999999 |
Approximately 0.5 mL of saline was injected under the belly of the pterygium by using a 26-G needle mounted on a 2-mL syringe. The head of the pterygium was avulsed from its attachment at the cornea by reverse stripping by using slow and deliberate traction holding its free end parallel to the cornea. The fibrovascular tissue underneath the cut end of the conjunctiva was dissected and excised, leaving bare sclera and the muscle free from the episcleral tissue. | 38324633_p5 | 38324633 | Procedure | 3.981452 | biomedical | Other | [
0.9775704145431519,
0.021836671978235245,
0.0005929727340117097
] | [
0.40361490845680237,
0.5695657730102539,
0.0036205253563821316,
0.023198768496513367
] | en | 0.999999 |
Donor conjunctiva harvested from the superotemporal quadrant of the same eye was 4 mm × 4 mm larger than the size of the bare sclera; 3 mm × 3 mm of this donor conjunctiva was sent for IHC to serve as control. The dissection was continued at the donor site for approximately 1 mm into the peripheral cornea, beyond the vascular arcade to include the limbal tissue. The conjunctival piece was excised using a sharp Vanna’s scissors. The graft was then transferred to the bare sclera, with epithelial side up, preserving the limbal orientation, and secured with 8-0 vicryl interrupted sutures. The donor site was sutured. At the end of the surgery, antibiotic-steroid ointment was applied to the conjunctival sac. | 38324633_p6 | 38324633 | Procedure | 3.977307 | biomedical | Other | [
0.7658726572990417,
0.23270255327224731,
0.0014246912905946374
] | [
0.33178484439849854,
0.4146499037742615,
0.0044423178769648075,
0.24912293255329132
] | en | 0.999997 |
Samples were fixed in 10% formalin, processed, and embedded in paraffin. All samples were sectioned at 3-μm thickness and mounted on positively charged glass slides labeled with barcodes after sectioning and fixed overnight at 37°C for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. After deparaffinization in alcohol, samples were washed in distilled water. These sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathological evaluation. | 38324633_p7 | 38324633 | Immunohistochemistry | 4.041426 | biomedical | Study | [
0.999053418636322,
0.0007263545994646847,
0.00022022910707164556
] | [
0.8819519877433777,
0.11480114609003067,
0.0021419539116322994,
0.0011049044551327825
] | en | 0.999995 |
IHC staining for p53, Bcl-2, VEGF, and Ki-67 was performed on 17 primary pterygium (cases) and 17 healthy conjunctiva tissue samples (controls) from the same eye. IHC using the streptavidin–biotin peroxidase method was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues, and antigen retrieval was achieved by heat retrieval methods by using Tris Buffer (10 mM Tris base, 0.05% Tween20, pH 10). | 38324633_p8 | 38324633 | Immunohistochemistry | 4.083071 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995428323745728,
0.0003016961563844234,
0.00015552605327684432
] | [
0.9990480542182922,
0.0006046670605428517,
0.0002582762099336833,
0.00008893889025785029
] | en | 0.999998 |
Samples were incubated with the following antibodies for 60 min at 25°C. The primary antibodies used were as follows: | 38324633_p9 | 38324633 | Immunohistochemistry | 2.675905 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9962303042411804,
0.0006009761709719896,
0.0031687330920249224
] | [
0.5886800289154053,
0.4070042073726654,
0.0030280782375484705,
0.0012876549735665321
] | en | 0.999997 |
p53 Mouse Monoclonal Antibody dilution 1:100 (Clone BP-53-12, (PathnSitu, Livermore, CA, USA) Ki-67 (Clone: MIB1) Mouse Monoclonal Antibody dilution 1:100 (PathnSitu, Pleasanton, CA, USA) Bcl-2 alpha AB1; (clone 100/D5, Thermo Scientific, Kalamazoo, USA) VEGF RTU (ready to use),7 mL, (Clone RBT, BIOSB, SantaBarbara, CA, USA). | 38324633_p10 | 38324633 | Immunohistochemistry | 1.97273 | biomedical | Other | [
0.9923911690711975,
0.0008997751283459365,
0.00670907087624073
] | [
0.04433302581310272,
0.9540458917617798,
0.0007996298372745514,
0.0008214410627260804
] | en | 0.85714 |
A light microscope (OLYMPUS BX53) was used, and the immune-positive cells were examined manually. Staining intensity was graded in the following manner for all the biomarkers: 0 –negative, 1+ – weak, 2+ – intermediate, and 3+ – strong staining. | 38324633_p11 | 38324633 | Immunohistochemistry | 3.614457 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9992444515228271,
0.00038454358582384884,
0.00037109950790181756
] | [
0.9769739508628845,
0.02215193212032318,
0.000565499474760145,
0.0003085523785557598
] | en | 0.999998 |
p53 positivity: The basal epithelial cells were counted. At least 100 cells of tissue (including immune-positive cells) in three microscopic fields (magnification 100×) from the sample were studied. The expression of the p53 protein was marked positive if it was present in more than 10% of tissue cells and negative if present in less than 10% of cells. Ki-67 positivity: The basal epithelial cells were counted, and positive staining cells of five microscopic fields (400×) from each tissue was performed. The positive staining cells were noted by their labeling index as a percentage in each specimen, and the measurements were averaged. Bcl-2 positivity: The basal and parabasal layer of epithelial cells were observed at 100× for any positive staining. Staining intensity and the percent positive cells were graded on a scale of 0–3 as mentioned before. VEGF expression: VEGF expressivity either in the epithelial or endothelial layer or both in the samples was assessed. Staining intensity and the percent positive cells were graded. | 38324633_p12 | 38324633 | Immunohistochemistry | 4.130123 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994016885757446,
0.0003697590436786413,
0.00022856007853988558
] | [
0.999122679233551,
0.0004014275036752224,
0.00041193983634002507,
0.0000639051286270842
] | en | 0.999994 |
The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) PC 21version was used for data analysis. Fisher’s exact test was used to calculate the association and its significance between categorical variables, for example, case/control and positivity. Because the sample size was small, the P value was considered significant at the 10% (0.10) level. Wherever enough samples were available, odds ratios were calculated for risk of exposure among cases as compared to controls. | 38324633_p13 | 38324633 | Statistical analysis | 3.447607 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9987449645996094,
0.00025486215599812567,
0.0010000421898439527
] | [
0.9973875880241394,
0.0022920549381524324,
0.0002498042013030499,
0.00007053319131955504
] | en | 0.999996 |
The immunohistochemistry of the samples and controls revealed p53 positivity (The expression of p53 protein was marked positive if it was present in more than 10% of tissue cells and negative if present in less than 10% cells.) in 47.05% (8 out of 17) pterygium samples [ Fig. 1 a] and 29.4% (5 out of 17) controls [ Fig. 1 b] ( P < 0.587) [ Table 1 ]. | 38324633_p14 | 38324633 | Result | 4.096953 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994304776191711,
0.00037559628253802657,
0.0001938438945217058
] | [
0.9994576573371887,
0.0002499891852494329,
0.00021252250007819384,
0.00007978802750585601
] | en | 0.999997 |
Nine out of 17 (52.9%) cases [ Fig. 2 a] and control samples [ Fig. 2 b] were positive for Ki-67 expression. The difference in the staining pattern between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P < 1.000) [ Table 2 ]. | 38324633_p15 | 38324633 | Result | 3.890316 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9989418387413025,
0.0007122202077880502,
0.00034595123725011945
] | [
0.9994192123413086,
0.00031901145121082664,
0.00016798140131868422,
0.00009377621609019116
] | en | 0.999994 |
Bcl-2 positivity was seen in 10 out of 17 pterygium samples (58.8%) [ Fig. 3 a] and 12 out of 17 controls (70.5%) [ Fig. 3 b], with no statistical difference between the two groups ( P < 0.455) [ Table 3 ]. | 38324633_p16 | 38324633 | Result | 4.045304 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9992470741271973,
0.000477752648293972,
0.0002751483698375523
] | [
0.999542236328125,
0.00021837587701156735,
0.00017144688172265887,
0.00006794976798119023
] | en | 0.999996 |
VEGF expression was seen in both epithelial [ Table 4 a] and endothelial cells [ Table 4 b] of the samples [ Fig. 4 a] and controls [ Fig. 4 b], with no statistical difference between the two groups, with P = 1.000 for the epithelial staining and P = 0.637 for endothelial staining. | 38324633_p17 | 38324633 | Result | 4.020721 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993027448654175,
0.0003742444096133113,
0.00032293712138198316
] | [
0.9995125532150269,
0.0002631198149174452,
0.00016797818534541875,
0.00005637258436763659
] | en | 0.999997 |
Pterygium is regarded as a degenerative condition with multifaceted pathology that displays apparent conflicting characteristics. It is considered benign because of its self-limiting and superficial nature; however, because of its highly proliferative and potentially recurrent nature, it has been said to possess signs of preneoplastic transformation. | 38324633_p18 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.58247 | biomedical | Other | [
0.9988918900489807,
0.0004006009839940816,
0.0007075577741488814
] | [
0.21911467611789703,
0.6611925363540649,
0.11791133880615234,
0.0017813906306400895
] | en | 0.999997 |
Various opinions regarding the mechanism of pterygium development have been discussed in the literature. However, the exact pathogenesis is still a dilemma. Chronic inflammation occurring in the limbal conjunctival vessels or conjunctival epithelium is thought to be one of the factors in the pathogenesis. | 38324633_p19 | 38324633 | Discussion | 2.510327 | biomedical | Other | [
0.9975243210792542,
0.0009538338636048138,
0.0015218771295621991
] | [
0.1066930890083313,
0.8423051834106445,
0.04747229069471359,
0.003529394045472145
] | en | 0.999996 |
Pathophysiology of pterygium due to exposure to UV rays is perhaps the most accepted risk factor for the occurrence of pterygium.[ 2 18 ] There is a void in the existing literature regarding the pathophysiology of pterygium and its overlap with other malignant conditions (ocular surface squamous neoplasia and skin cancer). The initial insult with UV rays ensues a cycle of indirect DNA damage as a part of the repair mechanism. There also occurs downstreaming of apoptotic regulators along with resultant cellular adaptations. | 38324633_p20 | 38324633 | Discussion | 4.001457 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995939135551453,
0.0001636369852349162,
0.00024250468413811177
] | [
0.8971537947654724,
0.018899738788604736,
0.0834423154592514,
0.0005041453987360001
] | en | 0.999997 |
Various inflammatory and apoptotic biomarkers have been studied in the literature to help understand the molecular level of the occurrence and recurrence of pterygium. A study of these biomarkers can help with targeted therapy in pterygium patients and prevent recurrence.[ 20 21 ] | 38324633_p21 | 38324633 | Discussion | 2.699521 | biomedical | Other | [
0.998552143573761,
0.00043669360456988215,
0.0010111198062077165
] | [
0.2602882385253906,
0.6906720399856567,
0.04705839976668358,
0.001981321955099702
] | en | 0.999996 |
The purpose of the current study was to ascertain p53, Ki-67, Bcl-2, and VEGF expression in pterygium and healthy conjunctiva of the same eye and if this could further help in the development of targeted therapy. The ethical clearance for the study of biomarkers from the conjunctiva of the normal/healthy eye was refused by the institutional ethics committee. | 38324633_p22 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.781578 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9992038607597351,
0.00048398005310446024,
0.00031223794212564826
] | [
0.9991025924682617,
0.0006659184000454843,
0.0001278143172385171,
0.0001037256806739606
] | en | 0.999997 |
Spandidos et al . in their study concluded that there is a role for tumor suppressor genes and decreased fidelity in DNA replication and repair in the development of pterygium. | 38324633_p23 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.718208 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995489716529846,
0.00012561542098410428,
0.00032546260626986623
] | [
0.9917478561401367,
0.00447853421792388,
0.0035753126721829176,
0.00019832770340144634
] | en | 0.999997 |
p53 is a tumor suppressor gene that controls the cell cycle and is involved in DNA repair and synthesis, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The p53 protein can be identified by IHC staining by using a monoclonal antibody against it. Normal cells are negative for the stain as the protein concentration is very low due to the short half-life of the protein (6–20 min). In many types of neoplastic cells, its concentration is higher and IHC staining for the protein is positive.[ 23 24 ] | 38324633_p24 | 38324633 | Discussion | 4.025587 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993382096290588,
0.00029429575079120696,
0.0003675316693261266
] | [
0.6637881398200989,
0.3159632980823517,
0.019327960908412933,
0.0009206125978380442
] | en | 0.999995 |
Tan et al. performed IHC staining on eight pterygia specimens and found three of them (37.5%) to be positive for abnormal expression of p53. Dushku and Reid found increased nuclear p53 in the limbal epithelium of pterygia, limbal tumors, and pinguecula and suggested that the existence of p53 mutation in the cells is an early event in the development of pterygium, probably as a result of UV radiation exposure. Onur et al. found that only 7.9% out of the 38 patients had a few p53-stained cells. Chowers et al . in their study on primary, recurrent pterygia and controls concluded that mutation in the p53 gene is not crucial for pterygium formation and recurrence. | 38324633_p25 | 38324633 | Discussion | 4.051946 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995434880256653,
0.00020779651822522283,
0.000248730240855366
] | [
0.9809762239456177,
0.00047951971646398306,
0.018389571458101273,
0.00015478554996661842
] | en | 0.999998 |
Our study observed a higher p53 expression in primary pterygium at 47.05% as compared to 29.4% positivity in normal conjunctiva [ Table 1 ], with the majority of cells in both groups showing 3+ positivity; however, it was not statistically significant, which is in concurrence with the above review of the literature. | 38324633_p26 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.947397 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995915293693542,
0.00023664017498958856,
0.00017182838928420097
] | [
0.9967818260192871,
0.0003028713690582663,
0.0028057105373591185,
0.00010955056495731696
] | en | 0.999999 |
Ki-67 plays a role in all of the active phases (G1, S, G2, and M) of the cell cycle; it is not related to the resting cells (G0). Thus, the proliferative cellular activity can be evaluated by the detection of Ki-67 nuclear protein.[ 26 27 ] | 38324633_p27 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.522061 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9979134202003479,
0.00026518653612583876,
0.0018213726580142975
] | [
0.5732685327529907,
0.4224320948123932,
0.003753571305423975,
0.0005457961815409362
] | en | 0.999997 |
Mahesh et al . studied the correlation between p53 and Ki-67 expression with the severity and duration of the pterygium on 43 patients and found that the expression of cell proliferation marker Ki-67 increases with the duration of pterygium and p53 expression increases with the duration and severity of pterygium. A study by Liang K et al . showed the presence of Ki-67 expressivity in pterygium as well as normal samples; however, no grading of staining intensity was done. | 38324633_p28 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.955107 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995853304862976,
0.00015651398280169815,
0.0002581943990662694
] | [
0.994795024394989,
0.00032409789855591953,
0.004795151297003031,
0.00008570215140935034
] | en | 0.999997 |
In our study, both pterygium and control in our study showed weak staining on Ki-67 in equal numbers (52.9%) in each group. A greater number of cases with >5% positivity of Ki-67 index in pterygium was observed compared to controls. The correlation between p53 and Ki-67 was not studied by us. | 38324633_p29 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.207239 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9990547299385071,
0.00039203750202432275,
0.0005531686474569142
] | [
0.9985860586166382,
0.0011252835392951965,
0.00017141833086498082,
0.00011726673983503133
] | en | 0.999998 |
Bcl-2 belongs to the family of apoptosis regulatory proteins, which can induce or inhibit apoptosis. Bcl-2 is primarily expressed in the basal epithelial layer of all pterygium epithelial cells and normal conjunctiva as well. However, the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bcl-associated X protein (BAX, an apoptosis regulatory protein) is believed to determine the fate of the cell. | 38324633_p30 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.902771 | biomedical | Study | [
0.999054491519928,
0.0002334209711989388,
0.0007120689260773361
] | [
0.542667806148529,
0.4504050612449646,
0.006253289058804512,
0.0006738352822139859
] | en | 0.999995 |
There was higher expression of Bcl-2 in normal conjunctiva (70.5%) compared to pterygium (58.8%), which was not statistically significant ( P < 0.4). However, BAX, which is the apoptosis regulatory protein, has not been evaluated in our study, and hence the ratio of Bcl-2 to BAX cannot be commented upon. | 38324633_p31 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.808635 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993740916252136,
0.0002602411259431392,
0.0003658026980701834
] | [
0.9993614554405212,
0.00043992497376166284,
0.00014245245256461203,
0.000056089200370479375
] | en | 0.999998 |
Turan M and Turan showed significantly increased p53, Bcl-2, and Ki-67 expression in primary and recurrent pterygiums when compared to normal conjunctiva of the eye, with no disease process in play ( P < 0.001). Suren E et al . demonstrated an increased expression of p53, Bcl-2, and Ki-67 levels in pterygium samples compared to normal conjunctiva obtained from patients posted for strabismus surgery. | 38324633_p32 | 38324633 | Discussion | 4.004879 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9996993541717529,
0.00013886956730857491,
0.00016180577222257853
] | [
0.9969062209129333,
0.0004073904419783503,
0.00261230138130486,
0.00007408857345581055
] | en | 0.999997 |
Our study, however, was not granted ethical clearance for the use of conjunctiva of the healthy eye without any disease process for control samples. | 38324633_p33 | 38324633 | Discussion | 1.868475 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9939243197441101,
0.001390518737025559,
0.0046851481311023235
] | [
0.7978847622871399,
0.1983024924993515,
0.00188981625251472,
0.0019228652818128467
] | en | 0.999998 |
VEGF plays an important role in the angiogenesis and neovascularization in the pathogenesis of pterygium. It has been demonstrated on IHC in the epithelial and endothelial cells of pterygium samples by Bianchi et al . They reported a statistically significant difference in staining pattern among pterygium and normal conjunctiva, with increased VEGF expression in the epithelial (72.9%), stromal (87.80%), and vascular endothelium (72.9%) of pterygium samples. However, controls comprised only two cadaveric specimens that they believed to have an altered physiology. | 38324633_p34 | 38324633 | Discussion | 4.101744 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9996637105941772,
0.0001731606462271884,
0.00016309063357766718
] | [
0.9992469549179077,
0.0002746678073890507,
0.0004203709540888667,
0.000058035839174408466
] | en | 0.999998 |
The study had assumed that it was impossible to use control specimens from normal conjunctiva adjacent to pterygium as it may also have potential abnormalities, which was evident in our study where VEGF expression was observed in all of the pterygium (100%) and 82.3% of control samples. | 38324633_p35 | 38324633 | Discussion | 3.326681 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9991211295127869,
0.0002850664022844285,
0.0005938155809417367
] | [
0.9981196522712708,
0.0015935112023726106,
0.00016799865989014506,
0.00011884020932484418
] | en | 0.999997 |
Aspiotis M et al . concluded that normal conjunctiva shows intense expression of VEGF in epithelial cells. However, this is not capable of inducing angiogenesis because of low corresponding mean vascular density (MVD) values. Our study showed VEGF expression exclusively in the epithelial cells in 23.5% of the control samples, however these cells were not capable of any neovascularization on their own. | 38324633_p36 | 38324633 | Discussion | 4.01332 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995629191398621,
0.00018036160327028483,
0.0002566738403402269
] | [
0.9993813037872314,
0.0002763733209576458,
0.0002896420191973448,
0.00005267448796075769
] | en | 0.999998 |
There is a lot of variability in biomarkers expression of pterygium in various studies as controls used were variable in different studies. Most of the reviewed literature either did not have a control group or it was too small when compared to the pterygium group or was taken from the healthy eyes of other or the same patient. Hence, a definite conclusion regarding the expression of biomarkers in pterygium is difficult to draw. | 38324633_p37 | 38324633 | Conclusion | 2.357971 | biomedical | Review | [
0.9961452484130859,
0.0009069814695976675,
0.0029477716889232397
] | [
0.251140832901001,
0.1415484994649887,
0.6043218374252319,
0.0029888590797781944
] | en | 0.999995 |
Our study differs in that the control group was taken from the apparently healthy quadrant of the affected eye, with the expression of biomarkers from pterygium and healthy unaffected conjunctiva being comparable. This leads us to conclude that pterygium, against common belief, might not be a localized disease process but a global ocular phenomenon where the apparently healthy tissue also has some ongoing disease process at a molecular level as apparent from no significant difference in the staining patterns from pterygium or apparently normal conjunctiva of the same eye. | 38324633_p38 | 38324633 | Conclusion | 4.051267 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994250535964966,
0.00026259993319399655,
0.00031233715708367527
] | [
0.9995054006576538,
0.00021951747476123273,
0.00022525229724124074,
0.000049826241593109444
] | en | 0.999996 |
Self funded. | 38324633_p39 | 38324633 | Financial support and sponsorship | 0.992349 | other | Other | [
0.009668522514402866,
0.0019550155848264694,
0.9883764386177063
] | [
0.0038548647426068783,
0.9937599301338196,
0.0014697116566821933,
0.0009154888102784753
] | en | 0.571427 |
There are no conflicts of interest. | 38324633_p40 | 38324633 | Conflicts of interest | 0.935876 | other | Other | [
0.02788134478032589,
0.00262717274017632,
0.9694914221763611
] | [
0.007451090961694717,
0.9894022941589355,
0.0018082363530993462,
0.0013383196201175451
] | en | 0.999996 |
Patients with AIDS were HAART-naïve inpatients from the Infectious Disease Center of Beijing You’an Hospital, who routinely underwent ophthalmic consultations to screen for ocular lesions during their stay and provided consent for their relevant medical records to be reviewed to determine their suitability for participation in this study from March 2022 to July 2022. Age- and sex-matched, self-reported, HIV-negative individuals were recruited as healthy controls by the Department of Ophthalmology, and they consisted of patients from health checkups, hospital staff, and patients’ families. All participants were 18–55 years of age with no history of ocular surface or intraocular diseases, corneal contact lens wear, or ocular surgery. Furthermore, patients with AIDS diagnosed with ocular opportunistic infections, HIV-associated retinal microangiopathy, or ocular tumors were excluded. Only the data from the right eyes were included in this analysis. | 38317305_p0 | 38317305 | Subjects | 4.022411 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9983441829681396,
0.0014255051501095295,
0.0002302799839526415
] | [
0.9990912675857544,
0.00046828450285829604,
0.0003000449505634606,
0.00014046658179722726
] | en | 0.999997 |
A total of 154 participants were eventually enrolled in this study, with an estimated 80 patients with AIDS and 74 healthy controls, far greater than the sample size requirements for the desired study power, calculated by G*Power (version 3·1·9·7; Erdfelder, Faul, & Buchner, Düsseldorf, Germany), with noninvasive tear film breakup time (NIBUT) as the designated outcome and a normal standard deviation (SD) of 6 s. A minimum of 19 participants were required for each group to detect a clinically significant difference of 5 s, with 80% power (β = 0.2), at a two-sided statistical significance level of 5% (α = 0.05). | 38317305_p1 | 38317305 | Subjects | 4.132968 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9986749291419983,
0.0010721392463892698,
0.0002528861223254353
] | [
0.9983664155006409,
0.0012875546235591173,
0.00022737050312571228,
0.00011867589637404308
] | en | 0.999998 |
All participants underwent a comprehensive ocular surface assessment performed by the same ophthalmologist (Dr. F. R. and Dr. Q. F.), following the principle of invasiveness from small to large, to minimize the impact on tear film physiology. Among the ocular indicators observed, NIBUT and meibomian gland loss (MGL) were measured using a Keratograph 5M (K5M; Oculus, Optikgerate, Germany), and tear film lipid layer thickness (LLT) and blinking pattern were calculated using a LipiView interferometer (TearScience, Morrisville, NC, USA). The temperature of the clinic was controlled between 22°C and 25°C and the relative humidity was 50%–55%. | 38317305_p2 | 38317305 | Measurements | 4.128529 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9981842637062073,
0.0016827950021252036,
0.00013289431808516383
] | [
0.9980520009994507,
0.0011264340719208121,
0.0005459641688503325,
0.00027554677217267454
] | en | 0.999996 |
DED symptoms were assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire on a scale of 0–100, which consisted of 12 questions. Questions 1–5 were on symptoms of eye discomfort, questions 6–9 were on limitations of daily activities, and questions 10–12 were on environmental triggers, with higher scores representing greater disability. | 38317305_p3 | 38317305 | DED symptomology evaluation | 3.879151 | biomedical | Study | [
0.998853325843811,
0.0009266271372325718,
0.0002200011076638475
] | [
0.9914205074310303,
0.007467632181942463,
0.0008661547326482832,
0.00024571517133153975
] | en | 0.999998 |
Tear film LLT was measured quantitatively using LipiView with a detection time of 20 s, during which the patient blinked normally while fixating on an internal fixation target consisting of light-emitting diodes. The outcomes were represented in interferometric color units (ICU), with one ICU representing 1 nm; there was an upper detection limit of 100 nm. The blinking pattern was detected using LipiView simultaneously with LLT measurement, and the partial blinking rate (PBR) was expressed as the ratio of incomplete blinking to total blinking. NIBUT representative tear film stability was contactless and automatically gauged by K5M, a commercially available corneal topography instrument that used automated videokeratoscopy to record the first time and location of the subject’s tear film breakup by monitoring the contours of the reflected 22-ring Placido disc mires distortion. After blinking twice, the subjects were asked to maintain fixation and refrain from blinking, and the readings were displayed. Three NIBUT readings were averaged for each case. Schirmer I test was performed using a filter paper (Jingming, Tianjin, China) placed at the notch, and the folded end was hooked over the temporal one-third of the lower lid margin. The score in this test was based on the length of wetting from the notch after 5 min. Schirmer test without anesthesia was a standardized test that provided an estimate of the stimulus reflex tear flow. | 38317305_p4 | 38317305 | Tear film and blinking pattern evaluation | 4.218011 | biomedical | Study | [
0.999025821685791,
0.0008089813054539263,
0.0001651807251619175
] | [
0.9979885816574097,
0.0009831266943365335,
0.0008426934946328402,
0.00018566433573141694
] | en | 0.999997 |
Vital corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) scores were obtained using sodium fluorescein in the inferior fornix to determine the degree of corneal epitheliopathy. The score was based on the National Eye Institute/Industry grading scale, which divided the cornea into five sections; each section was graded from 0 (absent) to 3 (severe) based on the dye distribution on the background of cobalt blue light, ranging from to 0 to 15. | 38317305_p5 | 38317305 | Ocular surface damage evaluation | 4.083632 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9988786578178406,
0.0009287828579545021,
0.00019258479005657136
] | [
0.9949947595596313,
0.004205471836030483,
0.0005282389465719461,
0.00027152718394063413
] | en | 1 |
MGL of the upper and lower eyelids was graded by infrared meibography using K5M in the Meibo-Scan enhanced contrast according to the criteria of Arita et al ., with the eyelids turned over. The grades denoted the following: grade 0, no loss of meibomian glands; grade 1, the loss was less than one-third of the total meibomian gland area; grade 2, loss between one third and two thirds; and grade 3, loss of more than two thirds. The upper, lower, and total MGL grades were recorded separately, ranging from 0 to 6. | 38317305_p6 | 38317305 | MGL evaluation | 4.074556 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9990686774253845,
0.0007488614646717906,
0.00018245101091451943
] | [
0.9968863129615784,
0.0020507799927145243,
0.0008567440672777593,
0.00020620436407625675
] | en | 0.999997 |
The diagnostic criteria for DED were based on the TFOS DEWS II Diagnostic Methodology report; if the OSDI score was ≥13 and NIBUT was <10 s or CFS showed >5 corneal spots, a dry eye diagnosis could be made. | 38317305_p7 | 38317305 | DED diagnosis | 3.763973 | biomedical | Study | [
0.99524986743927,
0.004491002298891544,
0.00025912094861268997
] | [
0.5780421495437622,
0.4116010069847107,
0.005211051553487778,
0.005145789589732885
] | en | 0.999999 |
Statistical analyses were performed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics software (version 26·0; New York, NY, USA). The measurement data were tested for normality using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and the Mann–Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed data, presented as median (interquartile range [IQR]) for comparison between patients with AIDS and healthy controls. The Chi-square test was used for ordinary enumeration data, and Fisher’s exact test was used for comparisons between groups for enumeration data of different grouping levels, all expressed as n (%). Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was used for measurement data. Statistical significance was set at P < 0·05. | 38317305_p8 | 38317305 | Statistical analysis | 3.935707 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994906187057495,
0.00023474245972465724,
0.0002746849786490202
] | [
0.9988681077957153,
0.0006982985069043934,
0.00037309309118427336,
0.000060541544371517375
] | en | 0.999997 |
This cross-sectional, observational, case–control study adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. It was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Beijing You’an Hospital, Capital Medical University and is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry . Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants before any test procedures were performed. | 38317305_p9 | 38317305 | Ethics approval | 2.752542 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9982125759124756,
0.0011148025514557958,
0.0006727073341608047
] | [
0.9925625920295715,
0.006368371192365885,
0.0006346383597701788,
0.00043436113628558815
] | en | 0.999998 |
The subjects in both groups were Chinese men. The demographic and clinical data of all participants, comprising 80 AIDS patients and 74 healthy controls, are summarized in Table 1 . Ocular clinical measurements are presented in Table 2 . Tear film tests revealed a shorter NIBUT (median 3.76 vs. 8.54 s), thinner LLT (median 73.00 vs. 91.00 nm), and lower Schirmer I test values (median 5.00 mm/5 min vs. 12.00 mm/5 min) in AIDS patients when compared to healthy controls (all P < 0.001) [ Fig. 1 ]. Concerning ocular damage, patients with AIDS were more likely to show mild corneal epithelial damage as evidenced by higher CFS scores (median 1.00 vs. 0.00, P < 0.001) and more severe meibomian gland atrophy in terms of higher upper, lower, and total MGL grades (all P < 0.05) [ Fig. 2 ]. However, there were no significant differences in the prevalence of DED, OSDI scores, or blinking patterns between the two groups (all P > 0.05). | 38317305_p10 | 38317305 | Results | 4.125648 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9990924596786499,
0.0006992794806137681,
0.00020834094902966172
] | [
0.9993361830711365,
0.00017768025281839073,
0.00038539653178304434,
0.00010077744809677824
] | en | 0.999998 |
Correlations between the CD4+ T-cell count and blood viral load in patients with AIDS and ocular findings are shown in Table 3 . Significant negative correlations between the blood viral load and OSDI score ( r = -3.50, P = 0.027) and Schirmer I test ( r = -0.374, P = 0.017) were detected in patients with AIDS. No significant correlation was observed between the CD4 count and ocular indicators. | 38317305_p11 | 38317305 | Results | 4.064007 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993593096733093,
0.0004329615621827543,
0.0002077639801427722
] | [
0.9993510842323303,
0.00016509542183484882,
0.0004135890631005168,
0.00007024723890936002
] | en | 0.999997 |
In this case–control study, we conducted a novel and comprehensive evaluation of the ocular surface manifestations of patients with HAART-naïve AIDS and HIV-negative individuals, particularly those with DED. The tear film status was altered in patients with AIDS, even without significant ocular symptoms. Notably, these patients were not receiving HAART therapy, so any ocular effects related to antiviral therapy were ruled out. | 38317305_p12 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.045279 | biomedical | Study | [
0.999350368976593,
0.0005218956503085792,
0.00012773634807672352
] | [
0.999202311038971,
0.0002865683345589787,
0.0003876931150443852,
0.0001234030060004443
] | en | 0.999996 |
A stable tear film is the cornerstone of ocular surface health, forming the primary refractive surface for light entering the visual system and protecting and nourishing the corneal tissue. Since the 2017 TFOS DEWS II highlighted the loss of tear film homeostasis as the most central pathophysiological alteration in DED, NIBUT measured by K5M has been more widely used in clinical and scientific research as a noninvasive tool for more accurate measurement of the timing and characteristics of tear film breakup. Importantly, we found tear film instability in patients with AIDS, as evidenced by a significant shortening of NIBUT, which has rarely been mentioned in conventional literature. | 38317305_p13 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.149076 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995741248130798,
0.0002756595495156944,
0.00015027995686978102
] | [
0.9988510608673096,
0.00034488944220356643,
0.0007196213700808585,
0.00008437351061729714
] | en | 0.999996 |
Abnormal tear production and Sjögren syndrome (SS)-like illness in patients with HIV/AIDS have been reported in many studies. Indeed, this study found a significant decrease in Schirmer I test values as an evidence of aqueous deficiency in patients with AIDS. It is well known that the bulk of the tear film volume is secreted by the lacrimal glands, and current studies suggest that HIV infection causes salivary gland and lacrimal gland dysfunction, leading to dry mouth and DED symptoms. The common underlying cause is diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome (DILS) due to glandular infiltration with CD8+ T cells in the presence of reduced CD4+ counts. It should be noted that sicca symptoms, such as xerostomia and xerophthalmia, might also be present. SS patients are positive for antinuclear antibody, SS-A, SS-B, or rheumatoid factor, while DILS in HIV/AIDS patients is mostly devoid of these autoantibody abnormalities. In this study, an increased blood HIV viral load was correlated with reduced Schirmer I test measurements in AIDS patients, suggesting an effect on tear production as the infection progressed. Several studies have reported that HIV-1 viral particles could be detected in the tears of HIV/AIDS patients,[ 24 25 ] suggesting that tear-associated tissues could also be reservoirs for HIV, reflecting the relationship between HIV infection and lacrimal gland tissue. | 38317305_p14 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.269575 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995056390762329,
0.0003232005110476166,
0.0001710452197585255
] | [
0.9986490607261658,
0.00023736589355394244,
0.0010072804288938642,
0.00010631961049512029
] | en | 0.999996 |
The LipiView interferometer measurements also revealed mild thinning of the tear film LLT in AIDS patients. Nevertheless, the upper detection limit of the machine was only 100 nm; thus, we suspected that if the measurement range was wider, the difference in LLT between the two groups would be more pronounced. The optimal LLT lowered the preocular surface tension at the air/tear interface, spread the tear film on the ocular surface, and retarded tear evaporation. However, the tear evaporation rate was not greatly affected unless LLT was less than 24 nm or was completely absent, and no AIDS patient had measurements below the lower limit in the present study. Although thinning of LLT in AIDS patients was not extremely severe, it could be considered part of the subclinical changes in the ocular surface in these patients, like thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and retinal electrophysiological defects in HIV-positive individuals.[ 5 6 ] | 38317305_p15 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.124642 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9995637536048889,
0.00026293762493878603,
0.00017327266687061638
] | [
0.999299168586731,
0.00022656902729067951,
0.0004046785179525614,
0.00006959724851185456
] | en | 0.999998 |
Given that the tear film lipid layer is mainly composed of meibum secreted by the meibomian gland and distributed on the tear film during each blink, we further analyzed the blinking pattern and meibomian gland dropout in patients with AIDS using interferometry and meibography. We observed a greater loss of the upper, lower, and total meibomian glands in patients with AIDS compared to normal controls, which is consistent with findings from a previous study which reported that meibomian gland dropout was greater in HIV-positive individuals, even on regular HAART, and was correlated with the severity of disease at diagnosis, reflecting the significant immune impairment present in this cohort before diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, at the end stage of HIV infection, the absence and impairment of the meibomian glands in patients with AIDS could be even more pronounced. | 38317305_p16 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.150081 | biomedical | Study | [
0.999534010887146,
0.00032174642547033727,
0.00014432378520723432
] | [
0.9991305470466614,
0.0002174365654354915,
0.0005640396848320961,
0.00008789773710304871
] | en | 0.999998 |
We accurately reported 37.5% prevalence of DED in patients with AIDS based on the TFOS DEWS II dry eye diagnostic criteria; however, we were surprised that there was no statistically significant difference in this value compared to sex-, age-, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls, unlike what had been reported in previous studies. While the reasons for this were unclear, it was conceivable that the lack of intergroup differences was relevant to the current standard of diagnosis, as the difference in subjective symptoms between the two groups was not significant, and no statistical difference was found on comparing the OSDI scores. Ultimately, there was no significant increase in the proportion of DED diagnosed, even though tear film homeostasis was more severely destabilized in AIDS patients. Interestingly, there was a negative correlation between blood HIV-1 load and OSDI scores in this study, which might be associated with corneal hypoesthesia due to neuroimmunity and neurodegeneration caused by long-term HIV infection. We recommend that attention should be paid to the separation of DED symptoms and signs during diagnosis. If a patient is asymptomatic or has mild symptoms with significant tear film dysfunction or ocular surface damage, a diagnosis of DED should also be considered. | 38317305_p17 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.167541 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993140697479248,
0.0005448381416499615,
0.00014107539027463645
] | [
0.9980066418647766,
0.0003523582126945257,
0.0015038072597235441,
0.00013716820103581995
] | en | 0.999996 |
Data in this research were collected from March 25, 2022 to July 20, 2022, when severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) broke out nationwide and intermittently surged regionally in China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the relevant stay-at-home measures, the consequent lifestyle changes, and eye fatigue adversely affected both overall visual function and the ocular surface for the public population. Several studies investigated the ocular surface disturbance symptoms of post-COVID-19 patients, including DED, indicating the long-term effects of this infectious disease on the ocular surface.[ 29 30 ] In conjunction with the above, it was necessary to focus on the assessment of tear film and ocular surface conditions in HIV/AIDS patients during the pandemic, which has been poorly studied thus far. Our study offers insight for understanding the dimensions of AIDS. Although the blinking pattern characteristics of HIV/AIDS patients were not statistically different from those of the normal population in the present study, we believed that this transient pattern deserved further assessment, and future expansion of the sample size was expected to provide new clinical findings and implications. | 38317305_p18 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.060592 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993957281112671,
0.00033777827047742903,
0.0002665080246515572
] | [
0.9995089769363403,
0.0002016756043303758,
0.00022699381224811077,
0.00006239413050934672
] | en | 0.999996 |
Several limitations also need to be mentioned, including this study’s single-center design, small sample size, and only male features. Furthermore, the case–control design excluded ocular signs and symptoms after HAART and those outside the hospital. Studies focusing on tear osmolarity, corneal perception, and meibum quantity, quality, and expressibility are required to refine our understanding of the ocular surface characteristics of patients with AIDS. Moreover, not all HIV-infected individuals can receive effective HAART because of socioeconomic factors or the level of educational attainment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, ophthalmologists should pay more attention to ocular findings in patients with severe immunosuppression. Also, the variability in noninvasive tear film parameters of the used machines and platforms should not be ignored. This study supports conducting a comprehensive ocular surface examination of patients with HIV/AIDS to detect subclinical tear film alterations. The classification of DED in patients with AIDS might include aqueous deficiency and evaporative factors requiring comprehensive treatment to avoid a consequent impairment in quality of life. | 38317305_p19 | 38317305 | Discussion | 4.120809 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993497729301453,
0.0005246719811111689,
0.00012561518815346062
] | [
0.9983661770820618,
0.0003282519755885005,
0.0011725182412192225,
0.00013301591388881207
] | en | 0.999996 |
Even in the absence of other ocular symptoms, patients with AIDS might be predisposed to have an altered tear film status, that is, poorer tear film stability, a lower tear secretion volume, a thinner tear film lipid layer, and more severe meibomian gland dropout. As the AIDS epidemic continues to spread worldwide, especially in resource-limited settings where HAART is difficult to access, an increasing number of immunosuppressed individuals are vulnerable to ocular surface problems. Therefore, future comprehensive studies are indispensable, ideally involving collaborations between ophthalmologists and AIDS clinicians. | 38317305_p20 | 38317305 | Conclusion | 3.88847 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993569254875183,
0.00042594250408001244,
0.00021720249787904322
] | [
0.6258431673049927,
0.04530426114797592,
0.32775798439979553,
0.0010946112452074885
] | en | 0.999999 |
This study was supported by the Key Project of Tianjin Eye Hospital , and the Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project (TJYXZDXK-016A). | 38317305_p21 | 38317305 | Financial support and sponsorship | 0.958059 | other | Other | [
0.03468509018421173,
0.001626045093871653,
0.963688850402832
] | [
0.001690953504294157,
0.9974919557571411,
0.00046426893095485866,
0.0003528303641360253
] | en | 0.999997 |
There are no conflicts of interest. | 38317305_p22 | 38317305 | Conflicts of interest | 0.935876 | other | Other | [
0.02788134478032589,
0.002627171343192458,
0.9694914221763611
] | [
0.007451090961694717,
0.9894022941589355,
0.0018082372844219208,
0.0013383196201175451
] | en | 0.999997 |
Table salt, chemically known by the name sodium chloride (NaCl), is a substance composed of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions , which typically appear as small, white, crystalline granules or as a fine powder, soluble in water, and have a salty taste . Salt is a ubiquitous dietary component consumed worldwide for human health and nutrition [ , , ]. However, the quality and mineral content of salt vary significantly depending on its source , storage conditions , production, and processing methods [ , , ]. Several studies have examined the mineral content of salt and its implications for human health [ , , , ]. Research on salt quality and iodine deficiency has primarily focused on the effectiveness of iodization programs , providing the status of iodine in nutrition ; few have investigated the mineral content disparities between different types of salt available to consumers . In other parts of the world, studies comparing the mineral content of commercially branded and local table salt have yielded varying results . found significant differences in iodine content, with locally sourced salt often containing lower levels of iodine compared to commercially branded varieties from Jimma town in Ethiopia. Other studies have reported comparable iodine levels between the two types of salt . | PMC467049_p0 | PMC467049 | Introduction | 4.057315 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9922093152999878,
0.0005992113146930933,
0.007191414013504982
] | [
0.6204362511634827,
0.0013762667076662183,
0.3779451549053192,
0.00024227968242485076
] | en | 0.999997 |
Like many other developing countries, iodine deficiency in Tanzania remains a significant public health concern, with adverse effects on cognitive development and growth, particularly among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children . The government has implemented various strategies to combat iodine deficiency, including the mandatory iodization of commercially branded salt. Tanzanian law requires salt to fortified with potassium iodate (KIO 3 ) or iodide [ , , , ] to promote optimal iodine intake . In regions where iodine deficiency is prevalent, consumers prioritize commercially branded salts for their potential health benefits . Despite these efforts, variation in the mineral content of salt, particularly between commercially branded and locally sourced varieties, persists, and the vast majority of micro- and small-scale businesses do not fortify their salt. This suggests that non-iodate salts are most likely present in the public environment, undermining the effectiveness of iodization programs and exacerbating nutritional deficiencies among the population . Other minerals such as Nitrate (NO 3 − ), phosphate (PO 4 3− ), sulphate (SO 4 2− ), iron (Fe 2+ or Fe 3+ ), manganese (Mn 2+ ), ammonium (NH 4 + ), and copper (Cu 2+ ) are necessary for general health and nutrition , their deficiencies have profound effects on increased risk of anemia, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease . | PMC467049_p1 | PMC467049 | Introduction | 4.160915 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9988118410110474,
0.00026432567392475903,
0.0009238136699423194
] | [
0.7869142889976501,
0.009771019220352173,
0.20293563604354858,
0.0003790004993788898
] | en | 0.999999 |
Preferences for salt type are shaped by a complex interplay of cultural, economic, and nutritional factors . While some consumers favor commercially branded salts for their perceived quality, safety, and iodine fortification, others prefer locally sourced salts due to cultural and traditional practices, authenticity, or perceived nutritional richness [ 33 , , , ]. According to Ref. , locally sourced salts may be perceived as more natural or authentic, reflecting cultural values and practices passed down through generations. Conversely, in urban areas or regions with access to a diverse range of products, consumers may gravitate towards commercially branded salts due to factors such as convenience, and consistency, [ , , ]. Commercially branded salts often undergo standardized processing and iodization, which may be perceived as ensuring safety and quality compared to locally sourced salts . Commercially branded salts are subject to regulatory standards and quality control measures; locally sourced salts vary in terms of purity and mineral content . However, perceptions of quality and safety are subjective and may vary depending on individual preferences and experiences . | PMC467049_p2 | PMC467049 | Introduction | 3.940753 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9608786702156067,
0.00044621998677030206,
0.03867511823773384
] | [
0.8965123891830444,
0.006470379885286093,
0.09686658531427383,
0.00015065216575749218
] | en | 0.999995 |
The sample preparation method followed the procedure described in Ref. , which involves drying samples, grinding them to a fine powder, weighing them, dissolving them in deionized water, filtering, and dilution to ensure accurate measurement of components, and ensuring the concentration of analytes falls within the calibration range of the instruments used. According to , i nductively coupled plasma (ICP), using an argon plasma to ionize the sample is used for the detection of trace metals in salt samples by detecting ions based on their emission spectra. The sample solution is introduced into the ICP instrument, where the plasma ionizes the sample and the emitted light is measured by a detector. Each element emits light at a characteristic wavelength, which is used to identify and quantify the elements present. The microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MP-AES) described by Ref. , a technique for analyzing metal content in salt. It uses microwave-induced plasma to excite the atoms in the sample, causing them to emit light at characteristic wavelengths. The sample solution is introduced into the plasma generated by microwaves. The excited atoms emit light, which is measured by a spectrometer. The intensity of the emitted light is proportional to the concentration of the element in the sample . describes ion chromatography (IC), a method used to determine the concentration of various anions and cations in salt samples. It separates ions based on their interaction with a resin. The solution sample is injected into the ion chromatograph. As the solution passes through the column, ions are separated based on their affinity for the resin. They are then detected by a conductivity detector. | PMC467049_p3 | PMC467049 | Introduction | 4.258196 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9991883635520935,
0.00023941842664498836,
0.0005721948109567165
] | [
0.9014507532119751,
0.025559542700648308,
0.07256434857845306,
0.00042539587593637407
] | en | 0.999998 |
According to Ref. , atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analyzes specific metals in salt samples by measuring the absorbance of light in the gaseous state which is proportional to the amount of the element. The aspirated solution is placed into a flame furnace, converting the metal ions to free atoms and a light beam of a specific wavelength passes through the vapor . describes colorimetry as a technique used to determine the concentration of colored compounds in solution, used for substances that produce a color change when reacting with specific reagents. The method is based on the absorbance of light by colored compounds as per Beer-Lambert's law, where the intensity of the color corresponds exactly to the concentration of the colored compound. This study evaluates the mineral content of commercial and local table salt in Nkonkilangi, Mangwanjuki, Unyanga, Chibumagwa, and Chali Igongo to determine if they adhered to health standards, identifying regional differences. The knowledge of the nutritional profiles of salts ensures that consumers have access to high-quality, safe salt products. The findings aim to improve salt quality, address iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), and promote health and well-being in the community. | PMC467049_p4 | PMC467049 | Introduction | 4.149121 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9984447360038757,
0.0002564713067840785,
0.0012987341033294797
] | [
0.9993743300437927,
0.00021366165310610086,
0.00037642609095200896,
0.00003553347414708696
] | en | 0.999998 |
This study was conducted in Nkonkilangi, Mangwanjuki, Unyanga, Chibumagwa, and Kinyambwa villages adjacent to Kitangiri, Singidani, Kindai, Chibumagwa, and Sulunga lakes, respectively located in Singida and Dodoma regions. The lakes are known for their high salinity levels, and salt extraction has been practiced in their surrounding areas, serving these communities for their dietary requirements. | PMC467049_p5 | PMC467049 | Study site | 1.900902 | biomedical | Study | [
0.8717063665390015,
0.0015461002476513386,
0.12674759328365326
] | [
0.9821022748947144,
0.01710137352347374,
0.00040561569039709866,
0.0003906251222360879
] | en | 0.999996 |
A systematic sampling approach was employed, whereby locally sourced samples of salt were collected from local producers at production sites . Commercially branded samples of salt were collected from retailers at markets and shops in closed packets. To study preferences for salt type, stratified sampling was used, whereby an equal proportion of households from each village were selected using random sampling within each stratum (village) from Iramba, Singida Urban, Manyoni, and Bahi districts. Household members willing to give their consent and identify their salt type were enrolled in the study. In addition, household income, education level, and occupation were assessed. Fig. 1 Map of the Dodoma and Singida regions showing salt sampling sites. Fig. 1 | PMC467049_p6 | PMC467049 | Study design | 2.386184 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9185357689857483,
0.001175308134406805,
0.0802888348698616
] | [
0.9971399307250977,
0.002591923577710986,
0.00014383015513885766,
0.0001242889993591234
] | en | 0.999998 |
The study received ethical approval from the University of Dodoma, under reference number MA.84/261/02. All participants provided written, informed consent. The participants had the option to withdraw from the study at any time if it made them uncomfortable, and the surveys were anonymized. | PMC467049_p7 | PMC467049 | Ethical clearance | 1.362011 | biomedical | Other | [
0.852401077747345,
0.002776731038466096,
0.14482218027114868
] | [
0.1549919843673706,
0.8428019285202026,
0.0011198048014193773,
0.0010862632188946009
] | en | 0.999996 |
A total of 210 samples from seven types of salt (2 commercially branded and 5 local salts) in seven sampling sites-10 samples per site-were picked for one type of salt. In each pack, three samples from the bottom, middle, and top of the package (in total, 30 samples per site) were randomly selected in stores and households from the villages of Nkonkilangi, Mangwanjuki, Unyanga, Chibumagwa, and Kinyambwa. Locally sourced products from Kitangiri, Singidani, Kindai, Chibumagwa, and Sulunga lakes were labelled SA, SB, SC, SD, and SE, respectively, while branded popular products available in both regions were labelled SF (Kaysalt from Malindi, Kenya) and SG (Néel Premium from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). The samples were categorized, packed in clean, moisture-free plastic containers with covers, labelled with the date of sampling, source, batch number, and transported for laboratory analysis. | PMC467049_p8 | PMC467049 | Sample collection | 2.697188 | biomedical | Study | [
0.8753302693367004,
0.001083936425857246,
0.12358573824167252
] | [
0.987168550491333,
0.012420255690813065,
0.0002462895354256034,
0.0001648472825763747
] | en | 0.999997 |
A local and commercially branded salt sample, distilled water purchased from a local supplier in villages, potassium iodide (KI ) Fisher Scientific USA solution, sodium thiosulphate (Na 2 S 2 O 3 ) Sigma-Aldrich USA solution (titrant), and starch Fisher Scientific USA solution (indicator) of analytical grade purity (>99 %) were purchased from Labquip (T) Limited, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Quality control measures were implemented to verify the integrity and reliability of the reagents throughout the analysis process. Acetylene gas purchased from Chemico (T) Limited, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was used for atomic absorption (AA) analysis. Calibration of the AA instrument was performed using this gas according to established protocols. PerkinElmer 2380 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, USA; Lovibond MD 640 Colorimeter Kit 214140, Germany; cuvettes Hellma, Germany; pipettes Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA; and burettes BrandTech Scientific, Germany; volumetric flasks Pyrex-USA and a stopwatch Casio, Country: Japan, were used. | PMC467049_p9 | PMC467049 | Materials and equipment | 2.551131 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9820885062217712,
0.000511719030328095,
0.01739976555109024
] | [
0.886954665184021,
0.11185254901647568,
0.0006864828174002469,
0.0005062561831437051
] | en | 0.999996 |
The iodine concentration in the salt sample was assessed through iodometric titration methods and MBI rapid test kits, India . The PerkinElmer 2380 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer USA and, the Lovibond MD 640 Colorimeter Kit 214140 Germany were used to analyze ions in the salt samples . Furthermore, households were interviewed about their preferred type of salt used at home. | PMC467049_p10 | PMC467049 | Procedure | 2.587147 | biomedical | Study | [
0.992377519607544,
0.0006358169484883547,
0.006986603606492281
] | [
0.9809443950653076,
0.018406860530376434,
0.00033933392842300236,
0.00030940509168431163
] | en | 0.999998 |
According to Ref. , RTK involves preparing materials, dissolving salt in clean water, applying the solution, and observing the color change on the test strip or reaction pad. The iodine concentration value was then compared to the provided color chart on the RTK packaging. The test was performed in a well-lit area, and materials were cleaned up after dissolving the salt. The process ensured an accurate comparison of color changes and avoided contamination. The reaction between iodine and starch, forming a starch-iodine complex, was used to determine the iodine amount in salt. The process involves a test solution containing an acidic reducing agent buffer, which oxidizes potassium iodate (KIO 3 ) into elemental iodine (I 2 ). The elemental iodine then reacts with iodide ions (I − ) to produce tri-iodide anions (I 3− ), and further reacts to form penta-iodide anions (I 5 − ). These penta-iodide anions (I 5 − ) create a visible blue-black complex with the amylose in the starch. The salt iodine levels were classified using a color chart, with the levels expressed in parts per million (mg/Kg) as follows: sufficient at ≥15 mg/kg, medium at <15 mg/kg, and no iodine at 0 mg/kg . | PMC467049_p11 | PMC467049 | Rapid test kits (RTK) determination of iodine content | 4.110962 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9992615580558777,
0.0002219763700850308,
0.0005165418260730803
] | [
0.9959219694137573,
0.0029840623028576374,
0.0010138280922546983,
0.00008022661495488137
] | en | 0.999996 |
The procedure described in Refs. was followed to determine iodine in salt, where 25 g of potassium iodide (KI) from Fisher Scientific USA was weighed and dissolved in 100 ml of distilled water. Three drops of starch solution were added to create a starch-iodine complex. An excess KI solution was added to the sample to ensure that all the iodine in the sample reacted to form iodide ions. The solution was titrated with sodium thiosulphate (Na 2 S 2 O 3 ) Sigma-Aldrich USA solution to the endpoint until the blue color disappeared, and the volume used was recorded. Each sample was analyzed in triplicate. Equation: 2KI (aq) + Na 2 S 2 O 3 (aq)→I 2 (aq)+2NaI(aq) + Na 2 S 4 O 6 (aq) | PMC467049_p12 | PMC467049 | Titration (preparation of sample and standard iodine solution) | 4.095 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993539452552795,
0.00021270544675644487,
0.0004334190452937037
] | [
0.9943353533744812,
0.005178064573556185,
0.0003641580115072429,
0.0001224367442773655
] | en | 0.999997 |
The chemical symbols denote the following compounds: KI stands for potassium iodide solution, Na 2 S 2 O 3 denotes sodium thiosulfate solution, I 2 indicates elemental iodine, NaI represents sodium iodide, and Na 2 S 4 O 6 signifies sodium tetrathionate. | PMC467049_p13 | PMC467049 | Titration (preparation of sample and standard iodine solution) | 2.416751 | biomedical | Other | [
0.9711875319480896,
0.000922837876714766,
0.02788965217769146
] | [
0.06889693439006805,
0.9292367100715637,
0.0012663977686315775,
0.0005999670829623938
] | en | 0.85714 |
Quality control (QC) samples were used to ensure the ongoing accuracy and precision of an analytical method. Samples are analyzed alongside unknown samples and compared to known values. Common QC samples include : Blank samples contain no analyte used to check for contamination. Spiked samples with known quantities of analyte were added to ensure accuracy. Replicates are multiple samples from the same source to assess precision. Table 1 provides a summary of validation parameters for the analytical method used. The parameters and their corresponding results collectively demonstrate that the analytical method is sensitive, accurate, precise, linear over a wide range, robust, and specific, making it reliable for its intended use . Table 1 Validation parameters for an analytical method used. Table 1 Parameter Description Result LOD Lowest detectable concentration 0.01 mg/L LOQ Lowest quantifiable concentration 0.05 mg/L Recovery Accuracy of method 98.5 % RSD Precision of the method 2.5 % Linearity (R 2 ) Correlation coefficient of the calibration curve 0.999 Range Concentration range validated 0.05–100 mg/L Robustness Consistency under varied conditions Consistent across variations Specificity Measure analyte without interference No significant interference | PMC467049_p14 | PMC467049 | Titration (preparation of sample and standard iodine solution) | 4.17149 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9994164705276489,
0.00035070203011855483,
0.000232744961977005
] | [
0.9983013868331909,
0.00104007578920573,
0.0005822312668897212,
0.0000762679337640293
] | en | 0.999997 |
describes the procedure for measuring minerals, which involves collecting salt samples, grinding them into a fine powder, calibrating analytical instruments, and analyzing them using flame photometry and an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Quality control and safety precautions were adhered to in order to maintain accurate measurements. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), equipped with a light source, an atomizer, a monochromator, and a detector, quantitatively determines elements in samples, including salt samples. According to Ref. , the operating conditions depend on the element and lamp, with wavelengths specific to the element. Calibration involved preparing standard solutions of known concentrations and measuring absorbance for each standard. Sample extraction involved using a microwave to remove organic matter. Samples were filtered to remove particulate matter. Validation compared standard reference materials, evaluated precision, and ensured linearity. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) were determined by analyzing the samples standard deviation and calibration curve, followed by recovery and interference studies to detect spectral and chemical interferences. | PMC467049_p15 | PMC467049 | Procedure for the measurement of other minerals | 4.141449 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9985824823379517,
0.0003503925399854779,
0.001067155390046537
] | [
0.9936466217041016,
0.0042546577751636505,
0.0019640757236629725,
0.0001347170618828386
] | en | 0.999996 |
Barium Chloride (BaCl₂) Sigma-Aldrich USA solution, which forms a white precipitate of Barium Sulphate (BaSO₄) Sigma-Aldrich, USA, and turbidimetric agents, methylthymol blue, were used to estimate sulphate ions in the salt from the working solution prepared. The presence and concentration of phosphate (PO₄³⁻) were determined by the colorimetric method, whereby phosphate ions were detected using colorimetric assays . Nitrate (NO₃⁻) was determined by the colorimetric method, where nitrate ions were detected using colorimetric assays by the Griess reaction, which formed a colored azo dye product that was measured spectrophotometrically by the PerkinElmer 2380 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer USA . Each sample was analyzed in triplicate. | PMC467049_p16 | PMC467049 | Determination of sulphate, phosphate, and nitrate | 4.101046 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993628859519958,
0.00013993657194077969,
0.0004970924346707761
] | [
0.9988864064216614,
0.0008457456715404987,
0.0002224125200882554,
0.00004546360651147552
] | en | 0.999997 |
Iron (Fe 2 ⁺/Fe³⁺) was determined by the colorimetric method, in which iron ions were detected colorimetrically using 1, 10-phenanthroline, which formed colored complexes with iron and were measured spectrophotometrically. The PerkinElmer 2380 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer USA was used to determine manganese in the salt. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) was determined by the colorimetric method, in which ammonium ions were detected colorimetrically using Nessler's Fisher Scientific USA reagent, which formed a yellow to brown-colored complex with ammonium ions . Each sample was analyzed in triplicate. | PMC467049_p17 | PMC467049 | Determination of iron, manganese, and ammonium | 4.063122 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9993932247161865,
0.00014014811313245445,
0.0004666254098992795
] | [
0.9950149655342102,
0.004505162127315998,
0.0003983760252594948,
0.0000814961749711074
] | en | 0.999995 |
A survey was conducted in the selected households to gather data on the prevalence of different types of salt (commercially branded vs. local), usage patterns, socio-economic factors influencing choices, reasons for their choice, and frequency of use. | PMC467049_p18 | PMC467049 | Determination of household salt type prevalence | 1.785118 | biomedical | Study | [
0.8167616128921509,
0.0024209413677453995,
0.18081749975681305
] | [
0.9633241891860962,
0.03553272783756256,
0.0006302475230768323,
0.0005128618213348091
] | en | 0.999997 |
The study employed several statistical methods for detailed data analysis [ , , , ]. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the basic features of the data, including measures of central tendency (mean, median) and dispersion (standard deviation, range) . The Shapiro-Wilk test determined data normality , and comparative analysis was conducted using t-tests to determine significant differences between the mineral contents of commercially branded and local salts . The data were further subjected to ANOVA (analysis of variance) to assess variations across different villages and districts . The statistical significance was set at a p-value of less than 0.05. These methods provided an understanding of the mineral content variations and helped in identifying specific patterns and differences. The analysis ensured the validity and reliability of the findings, contributing to public health and nutrition policies in the Dodoma and Singida regions. | PMC467049_p19 | PMC467049 | Statistical analysis | 4.06028 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9990944862365723,
0.0002516295062378049,
0.0006538141751661897
] | [
0.9995524287223816,
0.00012813971261493862,
0.0002789089921861887,
0.00004049597919220105
] | en | 0.999998 |
Table 2 presents the concentrations of iodine present in commercial-branded and local salt samples collected from different sources. Samples SA, SC, SF, and SG met the regulatory standards set by the WHO for iodine, but SB, SD, and SE didn't comply. There were significant differences in iodine content for salt samples in five villages for the RTK and titration (p < 0.001) methods. Local salt samples exhibited lower iodine content than commercially branded samples; this observation agrees with the study of , who reported salt iodine content for retail shop and household in Shebe town, south-west Ethiopia, ranged from 0 to 75 mg/kg. Household (81 %) and shop salt samples (82 %) had iodine levels lower than the limits of the Ethiopia Quality and Standard Authority. The iodine content varied across the samples, ranging from 10.50 mg/kg to 35.90 mg/kg and 13.16 mg/kg average for local salt and from 23.40 mg/kg to 35.90 mg/kg and 29.65 mg/kg mean for commercially branded salt. The same findings were reported by Ref. on varying household iodized salt use in Ghana based on a standard of 15 mg/kg iodine content or more to indicate the adequacy of iodization. Samples SB, SD, and SE concentrations were lower than the range recommended; on the other hand, samples SA, SC, SF, and FG met the WHO (15–30 mg/kg) range for iodized salt. Table 2 Amount of iodine available in commercial – branded, and local salt. Table 2 Sample RTK Iodine (mg/Kg) ± SD, n = 3 p - value Iodiometric Titration Iodine (mg/Kg) ± SD, n = 3 p - value SA ≥15 <0.001 15.90 ± 0.10 <0.001 SB <15 <0.001 10.50 ± 0.10 <0.001 SC ≥15 <0.001 16.90 ± 0.10 <0.001 SD <15 <0.001 11.80 ± 0.20 <0.001 SE <15 <0.001 10.70 ± 0.10 <0.001 SF ≥15 <0.001 23.40 ± 0.20 <0.001 SG ≥15 <0.001 35.90 ± 0.10 <0.001 Rapid Test Kits (RTK): sufficient at ≥ 15 mg/kg, medium at <15 mg/kg, and no iodine at 0 mg/kg . Iodiometric Titration: 30–60 , 15–30 . | PMC467049_p20 | PMC467049 | Results and discussion | 4.185831 | biomedical | Study | [
0.9990049004554749,
0.00035124144051223993,
0.0006439215503633022
] | [
0.9994138479232788,
0.000175856301211752,
0.00036625147913582623,
0.00004406863808981143
] | en | 0.999996 |
Only one sample of SG showed an iodine level within TBS limits; the rest had a lower iodine content than recommended by TBS . reported that of the 19 common salts tested in the Tanzanian market, only two, 79.95 mg/kg Super Salt and, 76.67 mg/kg Kipepeo met the accepted iodine levels . recommends salt-iodine amount should be 50–60 mg/kg at the production and 20–30 mg/kg at retail shops for household consumption . study conducted in Sri Lanka on commercial salts revealed that all six salt products have iodine above the accepted level (15–30 mg/kg) . report that sufficiently iodized salt exposure among the households in North Ethiopia was 51 (17.5 %). | PMC467049_p21 | PMC467049 | Results and discussion | 3.88705 | biomedical | Study | [
0.998765230178833,
0.00018228065164294094,
0.0010524673853069544
] | [
0.9958297610282898,
0.0024589700624346733,
0.0016126642003655434,
0.00009851895447354764
] | en | 0.999996 |
Subsets and Splits