Status of Renal and Liver Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients of Chattogram, Bangladesh Treated with Methotrexate (MTX)

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that is usually manifested as inflammation in multiple joints and several extra-articular symptoms, involving the liver, kidney, eye, skin, blood, blood vessels, heart, lungs, nervous system, and other organs. Methotrexate (MTX) is the anchor drug that treats RA. As renal and liver abnormalities are more common during disease conditions as well as during the treatment period, we tried to find out if there is any impact of MTX in these organs during the treatment of RA patients. Once the disease complications are developed, it is quite difficult to reverse the disease, and treatment in this situation is not very effective. Consequently, patients suffer a lot. So, early evaluation of renal and liver function is essential for the treatment of RA patients and it might also help prevent different complications which are usually very frequently observed. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 150 RA patients treated with MTX were evaluated for the study where female and male respondents were 115 and 35 respectively. In this study, we found that 82% of RA patients had creatinine levels ≤ 1.1 mg/dL although the normal range of serum creatinine is below 1.4 mg/dL. Usually, a 15% increase in Serum creatinine level from the baseline is considered renal impairment. We found 4% of such cases. Moreover, 2% of RA patients had creatinine levels above the normal range of 1.4 mg/dL and those patients were hypertensive as well. So, a total (4 + 2 = 6)% had renal impairments. Among them, 5% had diabetes mellitus. On the other hand, the ultrasonogram (USG) of RA patients with kidney disease showed signs of renal parenchymal disease and 3% of RA patients having renal problems whose serum creatinine level was within the normal range showed signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD). On the other hand, 2% of RA patients showed signs of hepatic parenchymal disease. In this study, 69% of RA patients had ALT levels ≤ 50 mg/dL, 23% had 50 - 100 mg/dL, and 5% had 101 - 150 mg/dL. The remaining 3% of RA patients had ALT levels above 150 mg/dL. All those patients with ALT levels above 100 mg/dL used Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) concomitantly. Different parameters of liver and renal function should be monitored strongly in RA patients treated with MTX and NSAIDs. MTX should not be given for a prolonged period without monitoring renal and liver function. As MTX, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, etc., may cause renal complications, we could not concretely conclude which one is the actual causative agent.

Comparison of Serum Lipid Profile between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Pregnant Women with Normal Glucose Tolerance

Background: Aberrant lipid metabolism presumed to have important relationship with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), though previous studies revealed inconsistent results on this area. Objectives: To identify the difference of serum lipid profile between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pregnant woman with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from January 2017 to December 2017 at Department of Endocrinology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh with 31 GDM and equal number of NGT pregnant women diagnosed on the basis of WHO criteria-2013, during 24 - 40 weeks of gestation. Glucose was measured by glucose oxidase method and fasting serum lipid profile [Total cholesterol (TC), High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and Triglyceride (TG)] was measured by enzymatic-colorimetric method. Data were analyzed and compared by statistical tests. Results: Among total sixty-two (62) study subjects, 31 were GDM (age: 27.52 ± 4.8 years, body mass index (BMI): 27.17 ± 3.3 kg/m2) and 31 were pregnant women with NGT (age: 24.94 ± 4.2 years, BMI: 25.43 ± 6.5 kg/m2). Mean age of GDM group was significantly higher than that of NGT group (p = 0.028). Women with GDM showed relatively higher BMI than NGT women but that was not statistically significant (p = 0.194). Fasting lipid profiles between GDM and NGT (GDM vs. NGT;total cholesterol: 194.21 ± 42.18 vs. 208.52 ± 42.18 mg/dl, p = 0.187;HDL-C: 47.50 ± 16.17 vs. 47.18 ± 11.71 mg/dl, p = 0.928;LDL-C: 109.25 ± 28.80 vs. 119.30 ± 34.76 mg/dl, p = 0.220 and triglyceride 204.78 ± 58.50 vs. 202.34 ± 79.18 mg/dl, p = 0.891) were not significantly different. The variations in all lipid fraction values were not statistically significant among GDM women when analyzed between BMI groups holding BMI cut-off at 23 kg/m2. No significant differences of any values of lipid profile were found in GDM women according to various age categories (Age < 25 years vs. ≥25 years). Conclusions: Lipid profile does not differ between women with GDM and pregnant woman with NGT.