M Shafiq

Publications of M Shafiq

• Epilepsy: public knowledge and attitude in a slum area of Karachi, Pakistan.

  Authors: M Shafiq, M Tanwir, A Tariq, P M Kasi, M Zafar, A Saleem, R Rehman, S Z Zaidi, F Taj, A A Khuwaja, K S Shaikh, A K Khuwaja

  Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association. 07/2007; 16(4):330-7.

  BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common but widely misunderstood illness. Consequently, epileptics suffer from considerable stigmatization in society. Since no studies have detailed the misperceptions aboutBACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common but widely misunderstood illness. Consequently, epileptics suffer from considerable stigmatization in society. Since no studies have detailed the misperceptions about epilepsy in our community, it is not possible to provide focused intervention aimed at eliminating this prejudice. PURPOSE: To assess the knowledge and attitude regarding epilepsy in an adult population of a Karachi slum area. METHODS: A face-to-face interview was conducted on 487 consenting adult non-epileptics (305 males; 182 females) who were conveniently sampled. Chi-square test was employed to calculate the variability in knowledge and attitude with demographic and other variables. RESULTS: In all, 12.5% had never heard about epilepsy. Among the rest, 66.7% identified epilepsy as being non-infectious, while 28.2% were unaware of any treatment available for it. Among the other 71.8%, 62.7% were aware of the existence of anti-epileptic drugs. Religious/spiritual treatment was chosen as the most effective treatment by 33.1%. Males were more likely to identify epilepsy as being non-infectious (p=0.02). Nearly 18% of the respondents would not object to their child marrying an epileptic, 69.5% did not want to socially isolate the epileptics, 83.1% said epileptics could receive academic education, 85.6% said they could perform activities of daily life and 62.4% said they could become useful members of the society. Those who considered epilepsy to be infectious were more likely to carry negative attitudes towards epilepsy (p<0.01 with four attitudes). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable gaps exist in the community's knowledge about epilepsy. Some of these may explain the prevalence of negative attitudes towards this ailment.

• Interactions and associations of paraoxonase gene cluster polymorphisms with myocardial infarction in a Pakistani population.

  Authors: M Saeed, M Perwaiz Iqbal, F A Yousuf, S Perveen, M Shafiq, J Sajid, P M Frossard

  Clinical genetics. 04/2007; 71(3):238-44.

  Polymorphisms of paraoxonase gene (PON) cluster have been investigated in numerous studies for their association with myocardial infarction (MI) but the results have been conflicting. Epistasis andPolymorphisms of paraoxonase gene (PON) cluster have been investigated in numerous studies for their association with myocardial infarction (MI) but the results have been conflicting. Epistasis and gene-environment interactions at this locus could possibly modulate susceptibility toward MI and account for the discrepancies. We carried out a case-control study (211 MI patients and 370 control subjects) to test association of PON cluster polymorphisms with MI, their interactions with each other and with smoking. Genotyping was performed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism based assays. The Q192R, C-108T, and A148G polymorphisms were associated with MI. Two haplotypes consisting of C-108T, C311S, and A148G, having allele frequencies of 0.17 and 0.14 in the control population, predisposed to MI (global haplotype statistic chi2 = 34.74, df = 15, p = 0.0027). Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis showed a significant three-locus model (p = 0.02) involving these three polymorphisms, suggesting a potential gene-gene interaction between PON1 and PON2. These polymorphisms also interacted with smoking, in a three-locus and a four-locus model (p = 0.01 and p = 0.05, respectively). Additionally, the R192 allele may advance the age-at-onset of MI. The PON cluster appears to be a susceptibility locus for MI in Pakistani population, and the susceptibility is modulated through gene-gene and gene-environment interactions.

• Variability in lipid profile in patients with acute myocardial infarction from two tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan.

  Authors: M P Iqbal, M Shafiq, N Mehboobali, S P Iqbal, K Abbasi

  JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 12/2004; 54(11):544-9.

  OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides in serum of Pakistani patients with AMIOBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides in serum of Pakistani patients with AMI due to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, hypertension, and smoking, and also find out the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, "low HDL-cholesterol" and "isolated low-HDL cholesterol" in them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum samples from 451 consecutive AMI patients (250 from National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi and 201 from Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi) were analyzed for total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides using kit methods. LDL-cholesterol was determined using the Friedewald formula. RESULTS: Mean serum concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in AMI patients were found to be 181 +/- 50 mg/dl, 35.7 +/- 11.3 mg/dl, 110 +/- 47 mg/dl and 177 +/- 127 mg/dl, respectively. Mean levels of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were not significantly affected by age, gender, BMI, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and smoking. Mean LDL-cholesterol concentration, however, was found to be significantly increased in diabetes mellitus (p=0.047), while age, gender, BMI, hypertension and smoking had no significant effect on the levels of this lipoprotein. Mean levels of triglycerides were significantly decreased in older patients (>50 years) compared to younger (<50 years) ones (p=0.019). Gender, BMI, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and smoking, however, had no effect on triglyceride levels The frequencies of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, "low HDL-cholesterol" and "isolated low-HDL-cholesterol" were found to be 30.6%, 30.1%, 48.6% and 34.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol (which constitute a component of metabolic syndrome) in Pakistani AMI patients is suggestive that these two lipid abnormalities could be playing a major role in the development of atherosclerosis in Pakistani population.