Mugda Medical College & Hospital is a public medical school and a 500-bed healthcare facility in Dhaka. At first, the facility was built as a general hospital which was later turned into a full-fledged medical school. Its construction began in 2006. The hospital opened in July 2013, and started admitting patients in early 2014. The hospital includes a 13-story building on 9.5 acres (3.8 ha).It is the fourth government medical college inside Dhaka metropolitan city. From the first month of 2016, it has started classes of regular MBBS course.
Background: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease increasingly recognized as a systemic disorder associated with metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities. Dyslipidemia may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed among patients with psoriasis. This study aimed to evaluate the lipid profile among patients with psoriasis and compare lipid parameters with healthy individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 30 patients with psoriasis and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded, and psoriasis severity was assessed clinically. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured and compared between the two groups. Associations between lipid parameters and psoriasis severity were also evaluated. Results: The mean age was 36.7±15.3 years among psoriasis patients and 39.53±15.62 years among healthy participants (p=0.737). Mean BMI was also comparable between the groups (22.8±2.11 vs. 22.0±2.0 kg/m²; p=0.126). Psoriasis patients had significantly higher TC mean rank (39.18 vs. 21.82; p<0.01) and LDL-C mean rank (40.37 vs. 20.63; p<0.01) than healthy participants. Mean TG was significantly higher among psoriasis patients than healthy participants (160.88±79.03 vs. 111.0±41.64 mg/dL; p<0.01), whereas HDL-C was significantly lower (30.86±9.52 vs. 43.53±8.08 mg/dL; p<0.01). An altered lipid profile was observed in 100% of psoriasis patients compared with 56.7% of healthy participants (p<0.01). Among psoriasis patients, 70% had mild-to-moderate and 30% had severe disease. Elevated TG was significantly associated with severe psoriasis (88.9% vs. 42.9%; p=0.02). Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis demonstrated significant adverse lipid-profile changes despite having normal BMI. Hypertriglyceridemia was significantly associated with greater disease severity. Routine lipid-profile assessment may therefore be valuable for cardiovascular risk evaluation in patients with psoriasis.
Abstract Background: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II markers HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4 are well-established genetic markers associated with autoimmune diabetes. However, data from Bangladesh are limited, especially in clinically heterogeneous young-onset diabetes. Objective: To describe the frequencies of HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4 positivity in Bangladeshi individuals with clinically heterogeneous young-onset diabetes and compare them with those of age- and sex-matched normoglycemic controls. Methodology: The current pilot case–control study recruited 35 young individuals with diabetes and 35 individuals (age- and sex-matched) with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Clinical and anthropometric data were recorded. HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4 positivity was detected by extraction of genomic DNA from peripheral blood, polymerase chain reaction, and gel electrophoresis. Results: HLA-DR3 positivity was observed in 8.6% (3/35) of participants with diabetes and in none of the controls ( P = 0.239). HLA-DR4 positivity was detected in 22.9% (8/35) of the diabetes group and 28.6% (10/35) of controls ( P = 0.785). Within the diabetes group, no significant demographic, clinical, or biochemical differences were observed between participants who were positive for HLA-DR3/HLA-DR4 and those who were negative for both markers. Family history of diabetes ( P < 0.001) and acanthosis nigricans ( P = 0.031) were more common, and waist-to-hip ratio ( P = 0.007) and diastolic blood pressure ( P = 0.001) were higher in the diabetes group than in the NGT group. Conclusions: In clinically heterogeneous young-onset diabetes in Bangladesh, broad HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4 positivity did not differ significantly from those of normoglycemic controls. Further studies with refined phenotyping and higher-resolution immunogenetic assessment are required.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon but potentially life‐threatening neurological complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that requires prompt recognition and treatment. We report the case of an 18‐year‐old Bangladeshi woman with established SLE who presented with a 10‐day history of severe headache followed by rapidly progressive bilateral proptosis and sudden, painless bilateral visual loss. Neurological examination revealed complete bilateral visual loss, bilateral ptosis, restricted extraocular movements and multiple cranial nerve deficits. She had active SLE with severe thrombocytopaenia and haematological involvement. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance venography demonstrated extensive thrombosis involving the superior sagittal, bilateral transverse and sigmoid and cavernous sinuses. Antiphospholipid antibody testing, including lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies and Anti‐β2‐glycoprotein I antibodies, was negative. The patient received therapeutic anticoagulation, high‐dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy with rituximab, followed by haematological and neurological improvement and subsequent recanalisation of the thrombosed dural venous sinuses. However, bilateral visual loss persisted, with optic disc pallor and optic atrophy. Optical coherence tomography, visual evoked potential testing, dedicated orbital imaging and formal neuro‐ophthalmological assessment were not performed; therefore, the precise mechanism of visual loss could not be definitively established. Nevertheless, ischaemic optic neuropathy was considered the most likely mechanism given the clinical presentation and extensive CVST. This case highlights that extensive CVST may occur in active SLE despite negative antiphospholipid antibody testing. It underscores the importance of early neuroimaging, timely anticoagulation and appropriate immunosuppressive therapy to minimise the risk of persistent neurological and visual sequelae.
Background: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into university learning, but excessive academic reliance on these tools may be linked with psychological distress. Objective: This cross-sectional study assessed patterns of generative AI use, academic dependence, and depression, anxiety, and stress among 480 students from four private universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between July and December 2025. Methodology: Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire that included generative AI use characteristics, an academic dependence measure, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were applied. Result: More than half of the participants used generative AI several times a week or daily (56.5%), and ChatGPT was the most commonly used platform (92.1%). Academic dependence was low in 35.0%, moderate in 50.0%, and high in 15.0% of students. Moderate-to-extremely-severe symptoms were observed in 43.2% for depression, 72.9% for anxiety, and 25.4% for stress. The prevalence of each form of distress increased significantly across low, moderate, and high dependence groups (all p < 0.001). Academic dependence was positively correlated with depression (r = 0.37), anxiety (r = 0.36), stress (r = 0.29), and total DASS-21 score (r = 0.38; all p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, academic year, family income, and residence, dependence remained independently associated with total psychological distress (B = 1.34, 95% CI 1.04-1.63, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that greater academic dependence on generative AI is associated with a higher burden of psychological distress. Universities should promote responsible AI use while strengthening independent learning skills and accessible student mental-health support.
Background: Fatty liver disease is increasingly recognized as an important metabolic health problem, particularly in populations with a high burden of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and sedentary lifestyles. Objective: This study assessed the lifestyle and metabolic factors associated with ultrasonographic severity of fatty liver among adults attending tertiary care hospitals in Khulna, Bangladesh. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2025 among 280 adults with ultrasonographically confirmed fatty liver attending four medical college hospitals in Khulna City. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, metabolic, and available biochemical information was collected using a structured questionnaire and existing investigation reports. Associations with ultrasonographic fatty liver grade were assessed using appropriate statistical tests, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: The mean age was 43.5 ± 11.2 years, and 55.0% of participants were male. Grade I fatty liver was present in 55.0%, Grade II in 32.9%, and Grade III in 12.1%. Frequent fried/fatty food intake, sedentary physical activity, prolonged sedentary behaviour, and positive family history were significantly associated with higher fatty liver grade. BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased progressively with disease severity. Overweight/obesity, central obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia were also significantly more frequent among participants with higher-grade fatty liver. Available biochemical findings demonstrated higher fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, ALT and AST, with lower HDL-cholesterol as fatty liver grade increased. Conclusion: Greater ultrasonographic severity of fatty liver was associated with unhealthy lifestyle practices and a higher cardiometabolic risk burden. Early lifestyle modification and appropriate management of metabolic risk factors may help reduce progression of fatty liver disease.
