BACKGROUND Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells represent a determinant in the course of infections and diseases, however, their role in the pathogenesis of non-infectious co-morbidities in HIV-positive patients is unknown. METHODS Flow cytometry was used to investigate iNKT cell frequency, phenotype and function in HIV-infected patients on HAART with bone and/or cardiovascular disorders a...

BACKGROUND Patients with epilepsy often suffer from other important conditions. The existence of such co-morbidities is frequently not recognized and their relationship with epilepsy usually remains unexplained. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We describe three patients with common, sporadic, non-syndromic epilepsies in whom large genomic microdeletions were found during a study of genetic sus...

INTRODUCTION The incidence of childhood obesity is rising across the globe, and obesity related co-morbidities are increasing concomitantly in the paediatric population. MATERIALS AND METHODS PubMed search for research and review papers on complications of childhood obesity was performed. RESULTS The consequences of childhood obesity can be broadly classified into medical and psychosocial c...

Patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) experience many clinical complications despite their independence from frequent transfusions. Morbidities in NTDT stem from the interaction of multiple pathophysiological factors: ineffective erythropoiesis, iron overload (IOL), and hypercoagulability. Ineffective erythropoiesis and hemolysis are associated with chronic hypoxia and a hy...

A critical review was conducted of social, psychological, and health science literature on the array of health risks and morbidities of truckers. Multilevel worksite-induced strains (e.g., long work hours and fatigue, shift work and sleep deprivation, postural fatigue and exposure to noise and vibration, sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet, exposure to diesel exhaust fumes, and other occupat...

AS is the prototypical member of the family of spondyloarthropathies, and is characterized by seronegativity, axial predominance and new bone formation, which underlie symptoms of inflammatory back pain, enthesopathy and extra-articular manifestations, including anterior uveitis, psoriasis and colitis. Patients with AS typically experience a wide variety of morbidities. These include both morbi...

Sleep apnoea (OSAS) is a multisystem disorder. There is a high prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic morbidities in patients investigated for sleep apnoea. We aim to evaluate any association between cardiovascular, metabolic and pulmonary co morbidities in patients investigated for OSAS and whether clinical findings based on Epworth sleep score (ESS) and snoring helps in diagnosing sleep a...

ABSTRACT This study aims to determine pre-morbid parameters as possible predictors of outcome of hip fracture in octogenarians with unstable intertrochanteric fracture treated operatively. Presence of co-morbidities, pre-injury level of ambulation, type of surgery, and period of delay in surgery were considered, and their effect on the post-operative outcome was evaluated using the Harris Hip S...

Older people have much to gain from surgery, but pose a significant challenge not only in emergency surgery but also in elective surgery. Despite significant progress in the care of older surgical patients, they remain more likely to 'fail' pre-assessment and have higher rates of post-operative complications than younger people. The evidence suggests that this is a consequence of age-related in...

Primary obesity and psychotic disorders are similar with respect to the associated changes in energy balance and co-morbidities, including metabolic syndrome. Such similarities do not necessarily demonstrate causal links, but instead suggest that specific causes of and metabolic disturbances associated with obesity play a pathogenic role in the development of co-morbid disorders, potentially ev...