Association of MTHFR and TYMS gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to HCC in Egyptian HCV cirrhotic patients

Clinical and Experimental Medicine - Identification of host genetic factors influencing the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)...     

Thioctic acid protects against carrageenan-induced acute inflammation in rats by reduction in oxidative stress, downregulation of COX-2 mRNA and enhancement of IL-10 mRNA

Free radicals are highly reactive species which played an important role in the pathogenesis of acute inflammation. In this study, the protective role of the known antioxidant, thioctic acid, in carrageenan-induced acute inflammation in rats was assessed and was compared to the reference non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indomethacin. In addition, the roles of oxidative stress, nitric oxide (NO), inducible cyclooxygenase isoform (COX-2) and interleukin (IL)-10 mRNA expressions in thioctic acid-induced effects were also investigated. Inflammation was induced by injection of 0.1 ml of 1.5% carrageenan into the plantar side of right hind paws of the rats. Thioctic acid (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg), indomethacin (10 mg/kg), DMSO and saline were injected i.p. 2 h before carrageenan injection. The percentage increase in paw weight was calculated. Frozen hind paw were used for estimation of lipid peroxides (MDA), NO, GSH, COX-2 and IL-10 mRNA expression. Formalin fixed hind paw were used for histopathological examination. Thioctic acid (200 mg/kg) reduced both paw edema formation and lymphocytes infiltration more significant than indomethacin itself: Both thioctic acid and indomethacin reduced paw MDA and NO formation. In addition, both agents restored the depleted GSH contents in the paw. Thioctic acid decreased the elevated COX-2 mRNA while indomethacin, failed. Furthermore, thioctic acid increased IL-10 mRNA expression while indomethacin decreased its expression. Thioctic acid exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced inflammation compared to the NSAID indomethacin. The mechanisms of thioctic induced protection were proved to be due to reduction of NO, MDA, COX-2 mRNA and induction of GSH, IL-10 mRNA.     

Hydrogen ion excretion and urine osmolality in patients with obstructive uropathy secondary to Schistosoma haematobium.

Sixty-one patients with urinary schistosomiasis were studied to determine the effects of obstruction and bacteriuria on renal function. 39 (12 with bacteriuria) had demonstrable obstruction and 22 (5 with bacteriuria) had no obstruction. Total hydrogen ion excretion (T.H.+) for obstructed patients with sterile urine did not differ from that in controls; patients with bacteriuria with and without obstruction had a significantly lower T.H.+ (all P values less than 0.05). Obstructed patients (with or without bacteriuria) had significant impairment of maximal (U max) and minimal (U min) urine osmolality. Patients with bilateral obstruction and bacteriuria had a significantly lower U max (P less than 0.01 than obstructed patients without bacteriuria. The T.H.+ is mainly associated with bacteriuria but that the effects of unilateral or bilateral obstruction and bacteriuria on urine osmolality are additive. These abnormalities are usually corrected after therapy.     

Risk factors for invasive fungal infection in neonates

Invasive fungal infection is an uncommon, but increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. There are few controlled studies defining risk factors for the development of fungal infection in a contemporary neonatal population. This retrospective case-control study was undertaken to investigate antenatal, demographic and postnatal variables that may be potentially important in the development of fungal infection. Two gestation-matched controls were identified for each index case. Information about perinatal and demographic variables, as well as important neonatal outcomes, was obtained from case notes. Microbiological data collected included the presence of fungal colonization, and organisms responsible for invasive fungal infection. Over a 5-y period, 24 infants with invasive fungal infection and 48 controls were identified. Candida albicans was the organism identified in 75% of cases of fungal septicaemia, and in all cases complicated by fungal meningitis. Preceding fungal colonization, pulmonary haemorrhage and intrauterine growth restriction were factors significantly and independently associated with invasive fungal infection. Fifty-four percent of infants with invasive fungal infection died, and 82% of survivors developed chronic lung disease.

Conclusion : Some new and potentially important risk factors for the development of invasive fungal infection in a contemporary population of infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care were identified.     

Anemia, parasitic infections and some risk factors among physical education female students in Alexandria

The present study was a cross-sectional one, carried out to estimate the percentages of anemia and parasites among students of Faculty of Physical Education for girls and some of their related factors. A predesigned questionnaire was completed by the researchers through face-to-face meetings to collect data concerning age, menstruation history and some dietary habits. Blood samples were taken by finger pricks to estimate hemoglobin (Hb) concentration level (gm/dl). Stool samples were collected and examined for the presence of intestinal parasites using formol ether concentration technique. Mild anemia was found among 12.4% of the studied female students. Mean Hb level was 13.3 g/dl (SD +/- 1.03). Anemia increased in those drinking tea immediately after meals and in those not drinking tea indicating poor iron reserves. Also taking iron supplements, having a history of anemia, increased amount and duration of menstruation were associated with anemia. Percentage of girls infected with parasites was 27.2%. A higher percentage of, anemia was found among students with no parasites (13.1% vs. 9.7%). The difference was statistically insignificant. Parasitic infections were insignificantly associated with anemia which was found in only 12.5% of girls infected with Giardia lamblia, in 10% of those with Ascaris lumbricoides, and in 7.4% of Entamoeba histolytica/dispar cases.     

Achieving eugastrinaemia in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: resection or enucleation?

BACKGROUND: Eugastrinaemia in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome can be an elusive goal, nearly one third of laparotomies failing to detect the tumour. METHODS: A personal series of 13 patients with a mean age of 52 years operated between 1980 and 1996 was reviewed retrospectively. All patients had fasting hypergastrinaemia and recalcitrant ulcer disease with or without diarrhoea. RESULTS: Computed tomography or selective visceral angiography localised the tumour to the pancreas in 6 of 12 elective patients; the thirteenth presented with a perforated duodenal ulcer. All underwent laparotomy with gastrinoma tissue being completely excised in every case, including the 6 patients with failed pre-operative localisation whose tumours arose from the duodenum (4), pancreas (1) and lymph node (1). Eugastrinaemia was achieved in all but 1 patient and was sustained during a mean follow-up of 5.2 years (SD = 4.2 years). These 12 patients remained clinically free of disease during a mean clinical follow-up of 7.5 years (SD = 5.0 years; range 2-19 years). There were no postoperative deaths, but 3 died from recurrent tumour at 3-7 years. CONCLUSION: Since normalisation of serum gastrin was achieved in 12 of 13 patients, laparotomy may well be worthwhile even if the gastrinoma cannot be localised pre-opera- tively.     

The impact of socioeconomic status on growth during infancy versus puberty in a developing country

Objective： To explore the relationship between socioeconomic status from one side and physical growth and nutritional status from the other side, in infants versus adolescents in Egyptians. Methods： Three samples were investigated： a） A sample of 605 infants aged 6 months ＋ 1 week （287 girls and 318 boys）, b） A sample of 992 infants of age 4 - 24 months （465 girls and 527 boys）, c） A sample of 1864 children and adolescents aged 6 -14 years of （744 girls and 1120 boys）. All samples are from Big Cairo area of both urban and rural localities and of various socioeconomic strata. Body weight and length/ height had been measured and body mass index （BMI） had been calculated for every subject. Assessment of the impact of parental education level, locality and number of sibs, on growth and nutrition as indicated by BMI was attempted. Results： a） Breastfed infants （6 months ＋ 1 week） grow bigger in low socioeconomic strata and in rural areas than artificially fed infants. The practice of breast feeding was more common and lasted longer in low socioeconomic stratum than in middle and high one. b） A significant positive association between body mass index of infants （4 - 24 months） and the socioeconomic status （particularly level of father education reflecting family income） was proved, c） The socioeconomic factors had insignificant influence on BMI of school children aged 6 -9 years, but it showed significant influence in the period 10 - 14 years. After the age of 9 years, children started the pubertal stage earlier and had higher BMI in the high socioeconomic strata as compared to those of low socioeconomic strata, d） In the low socioeconomic status, breast feeding compensates the deleterious influences of the environment on growth and physique of infants. Conclusion： children of educated parents have significantly low number of siblings＂ size in comparison to those of uneducated parents. Also children of educated parents are significantly more in number in urban a     

Rapid and simple detection of a mycobacterium circulating antigen in serum of pulmonary tuberculosis patients by using a monoclonal antibody and Fast-Dot-ELISA

OBJECTIVES: Several immunoassays have been established for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) antigens in serum, sputum and cerebrospinal fluid of tuberculous patients using polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies raised against different mycobacterium antigens. Some of these assays display both high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of these antigens. However, these assays require special and highly expensive equipment and the procedures require long periods for their completion. Thus, the rationale of this study was to establish and evaluate Fast-Dot-Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (FD-ELISA) as a fast, cheap and field applicable assay for detection of mycobacterium antigen in serum of patients with pulmonary TB. DESIGNS AND METHODS: This study included three groups: group I: 175 tuberculous patients with pulmonary TB proves with sputum Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) for acid-fast bacilli and sputum culture (all cases were culture positive for MTB); Group II: 65 patients with diseases other than pulmonary TB as bronchial carcinoma (17 patients), bronchial asthma (29 patients) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (19 patients); group III: 50 healthy individuals. Groups II and III served as negative control groups. The target mycobacterium antigen was identified in both crude mycobacterium antigens extract and serum of patients with pulmonary TB, using western blotting technique and anti-TB monoclonal antibody (TB20-mAb) and then it was estimated in the serum samples of all studied groups as an index of tuberculosis, using a newly developed FD-ELISA. RESULTS: The target mycobacterium antigen was identified at 20 kDa molecular mass in crude mycobacterium antigens extract as well as in serum of patients with pulmonary TB. The developed FD-ELISA detected the mycobacterium antigen in the sera of 159 out of 175 pulmonary TB patients with a sensitivity of 90.8% and 93.0% positive predictive value (PPV). In addition, it identified 12 false weakly positive cases out of 115 samples of negative control groups (7 out of 65 non-TB patients and 5 out of 50 healthy individuals) with a specificity of 89.6% and 86.6% negative predictive value (NPV). Standardization of the FD-ELISA using a serial dilution of the purified mycobacterium antigen indicated that the assay was able to detect 1.8 microg/ml as a lowest detectable antigen concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed FD-ELISA is a simple, rapid and highly sensitive assay for detection of mycobacterium antigen in patients with pulmonary TB. Moreover, all steps were performed at room temperature and without the need to use expensive equipment, and this may enhance the application of this assay in tuberculosis screening programs. Further study is needed for confirmation of FD-ELISA reproducibility in light infected pulmonary TB patients and in a large population.