Background

Few data about women's sexuality practices post-acute COVID-19 syndrome are available. Many women who have had the disease experience sexual dysfunction; hence, the adverse effect of COVID-19 on sexual function has generated interest. We aimed to clarify the impact of COVID-19 on female sexual function 6 months after the illness and possible risk factors and to evaluate the relationship between psychiatric problems and female sexual dysfunction 6 months after COVID-19. Sixty-two patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study and assigned according to female sexual function index scores to two groups: those with and without sexual dysfunction. For all participants, we documented socioeconomic status, sexual history, symptoms of COVID-19, vaccination data, and Symptom Checklist 90.

Results

Sexual dysfunction was 58% of all participants after 6 months COVID-19. Sexual frequency and sexual problems except pain were decreased in both groups with more affection in sexual dysfunction women. Sexually dysfunctional women were more likely to obtain oxygen therapy during COVID-19, received AstraZeneca, had post-vaccination myalgia and headache, and recurring COVID-19 after vaccination. No significant SCL-90 subscale differences. Sexual dysfunction was associated with renal illness, fatigue, COVID-19-related oxygen therapy, post-vaccination myalgia, and headache.

Conclusions

After 6 months COVID-19, there was a decline in the frequency of sexual intercourse and scores on all FST subscales in both groups except pain, with more affection in sexual dysfunction women. No statistical difference in psychiatric problems between both groups. Sexual dysfunction was associated with renal illness, COVID-19-related oxygen therapy and fatigue, post-COVID-19-vaccination myalgia, and headache.

Telemedicine platforms are ideal for managing several challenges facing healthcare systems in response to global infectious outbreak as COVID-19 Pandemic, however uncontrolled usage of telemedicine may associate with the development of ethical and legal risks in the context of health. Aim of the study: evaluate the extent, purposes, of increased telemedicine services during COVID-19 among physicians in Egypt Governorates assessing the associated ongoing ethical, legal and professional challenges. Material& Methods: The study is a cross sectional questionnaire-based study consisting of two sections designed to evaluate the extent, purposes, of telemedicine regarding health services in the period of COVID-19 pandemic with measuring the extent of the public's awareness of seeking medical advice through telemedicine also, assessment of the implementations of professional and ethical standards of such process and associated inherent ethical and professional risks of the telemedicine. Results: (84.8%) of participants prefer the use of telemedicine during the period of COVID-19 pandemic, most participants satisfied about their usage of telemedicine especially what’s app application, great majority of the physicians (67.7%) expressed the presence of multiple risks (Ethical, Legal, Professional, Personal) associated with providing the health care services by this process. the great majority of the participants (78.6%) are satisfied with the service
Conclusion: Telemedicine provides great remote health services during COVID-19 pandemic, but also carries greater risks of ethical, legal, personal, and professional aspects. physicians and medical students using telemedicine should pay attention to the ethical sensitivity in their relationships with patients.

Synthetic cannabinoids are one of the largest groups of new psychoactive substances that invaded Egypt’s drug abuse market over the past few years. Aim Randomized controlled trial study to demonstrate the effects of acute and chronic toxicity by synthetic cannabinoid (Strox) on the brain, liver, heart, and testes in adult male albino rats through histopathological examination by light microscope and immunohistochemistry. Methods Total number of fifty male albino rats were divided into five different groups, two control and three treated groups. Negative and positive control groups received distilled water and dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively, acute group received LD50 (lethal dose 50) once and observed for 14 days, chronic group received 1/10 LD50 for 3 months, and finally chronic withdrawal groups received 1/10 LD50 for 3 months and then left 2 weeks without the substance to observe the withdrawal manifestations. Results The current study revealed various histopathological changes in all organs with increased expression of cannabinoid receptor 1. The most important findings observed by light microscope examination were shrinkage and degenerative changes in Purkinje cells in brain sections, abnormalities in blood sinusoids and architecture in liver section, disruption in cardiac muscle fiber in heart sections, and finally testes showed irregularities in seminiferous tubules and germinal cells. Immunohistochemical staining for caspase-3 in the brain, liver, and heart showed weak-positive reaction in acute group and a strong reaction with chronic groups. Additionally, increase in collagen fiber was observed in sections of the liver and heart of chronic group. Conclusions Synthetic cannabinoid sample (Strox) toxicity caused adverse effects on the brain, liver, heart, and testes as shown by increasing cannabinoid receptor 1 and caspase-3 expression.

Acute toxicity is a critical medical emergency that needs urgent and effective treatment. Debates about the effectiveness of activated charcoal have been raised last years, and toxicologists have started searching for alternative adsorbents. This experimental study assesses the efficacy of agar as an adsorbent to drugs with enterohepatic reabsorption, like valproic acid, in comparison with activated charcoal. Method: Randomized controlled trial was designed using thirty-two non-pregnant female adult albino rats, which were divided into four groups at random. Groups I, II, III, and IV represented the negative control, positive control, overdose, and treated groups, respectively. Group III received valproic acid (200mg/kg) only, while group IV was subdivided into three groups that received the same dose of valproic plus activated charcoal (1g/kg), agar (1 g/kg), and both activated charcoal and agar in groups IVa, IVb, and IVc, respectively. Results: The mean serum valproic acid levels in the treated groups (IVa, IVb, and IVc) were statistically significantly decreased in comparison with the overdose group. In comparing the three treated groups, group (IVb) showed the least mean of valproic acid, but the difference with group (IVa) was statistically insignificant. Liver enzymes were lower in groups treated with agar only or agar and activated charcoal than in the group treated with activated charcoal only. Conclusions: Agar reduces the serum level of valproic acid, which may be due to its possible adsorptive effect and interference with enterohepatic circulation. Further studies are needed on a broad spectrum of drugs whether they have enterohepatic circulation or not.

Background

Few data about women's sexuality practices post-acute COVID-19 syndrome are available. Many women who have had the disease experience sexual dysfunction; hence, the adverse effect of COVID-19 on sexual function has generated interest. We aimed to clarify the impact of COVID-19 on female sexual function 6 months after the illness and possible risk factors and to evaluate the relationship between psychiatric problems and female sexual dysfunction 6 months after COVID-19. Sixty-two patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study and assigned according to female sexual function index scores to two groups: those with and without sexual dysfunction. For all participants, we documented socioeconomic status, sexual history, symptoms of COVID-19, vaccination data, and Symptom Checklist 90.

Results

Sexual dysfunction was 58% of all participants after 6 months COVID-19. Sexual frequency and sexual problems except pain were decreased in both groups with more affection in sexual dysfunction women. Sexually dysfunctional women were more likely to obtain oxygen therapy during COVID-19, received AstraZeneca, had post-vaccination myalgia and headache, and recurring COVID-19 after vaccination. No significant SCL-90 subscale differences. Sexual dysfunction was associated with renal illness, fatigue, COVID-19-related oxygen therapy, post-vaccination myalgia, and headache.

Conclusions

After 6 months COVID-19, there was a decline in the frequency of sexual intercourse and scores on all FST subscales in both groups except pain, with more affection in sexual dysfunction women. No statistical difference in psychiatric problems between both groups. Sexual dysfunction was associated with renal illness, COVID-19-related oxygen therapy and fatigue, post-COVID-19-vaccination myalgia, and headache.

Abstract

Cytokines play a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis. Interleukin (IL)-30 is a multifunctional cytokine. It binds to glycoprotein 130 (GP130) and inhibits the GP130 signaling pathways of psoriasis associated cytokines such as IL-6, IL-11, and IL-27. The study intended to assess associations of IL-30 and GP130 with the risk of psoriasis and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score. Therefore, we measured the serum levels of IL-30 and GP130 in psoriasis patients and in a control group. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to measure IL-30 and GP130 levels in the serum of 43 patients and 43 normal controls. Statistical analysis of IL-30 and GP130 serum levels among patients and control groups and their correlation with PASI scores were performed. IL-30 serum levels showed a significant increase in patients with psoriasis compared with controls (p<0.001) and a positive correlation with PASI scores. While serum levels of GP130 were not different in psoriatic patients and in the control group. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that IL-30 had diagnostic ability for prediction of psoriasis in comparison to controls, at cut of point of >14.34 showed a sensitivity of 97.7%, 100% specificity. In conclusion, IL-30 was elevated in psoriasis patients than controls, therefore, it can be considered a sensitive biomarker for diagnosis of psoriasis.

Keywords: Psoriasis, IL30, GP130