Mohammad El-Arman’s research while affiliated with Mansoura University and other places

Recently, a large body of studies has focused on the leptin levels in psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to measure serum leptin levels in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) due to a significantly higher prevalence of psychiatric disorder and to determine the relationship between leptin and FMS. The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Fifty FMS female patients and 50 healthy females serving as a control group were included. Serum samples tested for serum leptin levels were determined by a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum leptin levels were significantly lower in FMS patients compared to the control group. The mean serum leptin in patients with FMS was 7.1 ± 6.8 ng/mL compared to 9.4 ± 4.5 ng/mL in the controls (mean difference, -2.48, 95% CI: -4.78, -0.18, P = 0.035). Serum leptin level is inversely correlated with visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain (P = 0.016), VAS of fatigue (P = 0.002), VAS of global severity (P = 0.011), VAS of anxiety (P = 0.027), global self-rating index (P = 0.020), Health Assessment Questionnaire score (P = 0.016), fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) (P = 0.025), Beck Depression Inventory (P = 0.002), tender points (TPs) count (P = 0.041), TPs score (P = 0.015), and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (P = 0.006). Mean serum leptin levels were also significantly lower in FMS patients with post-exertion pain (P = 0.010), depression (P = 0.029), mood disturbance (P = 0.018), anxiety (P = 0.030), short memory difficulties (P = 0.017), sleep disturbance (P = 0.028), restless leg syndrome (P = 0.016), temperomandibular joint syndrome affection (P = 0.043), palpitation (P = 0.022), and irritable bowel syndrome (P = 0.028) than those without. We found a significant decrease in serum leptin in FMS patients compared to controls and this decrease correlated with disease severity.

Helicobacter pylori infection has been associated with digestive and rheumatic diseases. Aim of the work: to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), to determine the relationship between these two diseases.Patients and methodsThe present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, 100 female patients with primary FMS, and 100 healthy females to serve as control group were included. Serum samples were tested for the presence of anti-H. pylori antibodies by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.ResultsThe prevalence of H. Pylori IgG antibody of the patients was significantly higher than the control group (68 PFMS, 32 controls p < 0.001). Also there were 50 PFMS cases and 24 controls of positive IgA antibody (p < 0.001). Patients who were H. pylori IgG antibody positive when compared to patients who were H. pylori negative, more frequently have post-exertion pain (p = 0.0307), morning stiffness (p = 0.0177), confusion (p = 0.0139), depression (p = 0.0015), mood disturbance (p = 0.0093), anxiety (p = 0.0388), tension headache (p = 0.0088), sleep disturbance (p = 0.0046), and changes in appetite (p = 0.0301). Duration of FMS in patients who were H. pylori positive was 9.8 ± 1.8 years while in patients who were H. pylori negative it was 8 ± 2 years (p < 0.001). Patients who were H. pylori positive when compared to patients who were H. pylori negative, had a higher visual analog scale (VAS) of fatigue (p < 0.001), VAS of global severity (p = 0.0017), VAS of anxiety (p < 0.001), higher fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) (p < 0.001), and more tender points count (p < 0.001).Conclusion Significant increase existing in IgG and IgA antibody titer against H. pylori in FMS compared to control groups.

There is controversy regarding whether a specific hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is associated with diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate HCV genotype distribution in diabetics and its relation to some clinical and laboratory variables in HCV-positive diabetic versus non-diabetic Egyptians in East Delta. The study included 100 HCV-positive patients of which 66 were diabetic in addition to 35 healthy adults as a control group. Clinical assessment, laboratory measurements of plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and liver functions (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)) as well as HCV genotype determination were done, and AST/platelet ratio index (APRI) and Homoeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. The main results were the presence of HCV genotype 3, in 31.8% of the diabetic group and in 26.5% of the non-diabetic group, while the remainder of cases had genotype 4, the predominant genotype in Egypt. This is the first report of the presence of HCV genotype 3 in about 30% of an Egyptian cohort. However, there was no significant difference in genotype distribution between both groups. Further, there were significantly higher values of HOMA-IR, insulin and C-peptide in HCV-positive groups in comparison to the control group, while TNF-α was significantly higher in the HCV-positive diabetic group. However, there were no significant differences between both genotypes regarding these parameters. Although this study reveals for the first time the presence of HCV genotype 3 in a significant percentage of a group of Egyptian patients, where the majority were diabetic, the association between diabetes and certain HCV genotypes could not be confirmed on the basis of our findings. Hence, taking into consideration the impact of such a finding on the treatment decisions of those patients, further studies are warranted to explore these findings to a greater extent.

In the recent years, the role of melatonin (MLT) in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis has been investigated, and the serum levels of MLT have been evaluated, but clinical study concerning MLT and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is little reported in literature. We aimed to investigate the serum levels of MLT and their relation with the disease activity parameters of patients with AS. Forty AS patients and 40 healthy controls (matched for age and sex with the patients) participated in this study. Demographic and clinical data were collected and assessed. Disease activity of AS patients was assessed clinically according to the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), while AS functional impairment was assessed using the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI). Serum samples were collected from all subjects to evaluate serum MLT, ESR, and CRP. Serum MLT levels were significantly increased in AS patients as compared to healthy controls (95% CI: 4.63, 8.77, P < 0.001). ESR and CRP are significantly higher in the AS patients compared with the controls (P < 0.001). AS patients with active disease had significantly higher ESR (P = 0.0151), CRP (P = 0.0124), and BASFI (P = 0.0016). Also, the MLT serum level in AS patients with BASDAI ≥40 was 39.7 ± 6.2 pg/ml compared with 35.2 ± 3.5 pg/ml in AS patients with BASDAI <40 (95% CI: 1.22, 7.78, P = 0.0106). Also, serum MLT level was significantly higher in the AS patients with enthesopathy than those without enthesopathy. Serum MLT levels were correlated with the duration of morning stiffness, BASDAI, BASFI, and CRP but not with ESR or duration of the disease. Serum levels of MLT were significantly increased in AS patients as compared to healthy controls. MLT levels correlated positively with BASDAI, BASFI, duration of morning stiffness, and CRP levels. Thus, it seems that MLT levels reflect the disease activity in AS patients.