Serum and ascitic fluid high sensitive C reactive protein as prognostic marker in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Background: Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) is the most frequent bacterial infection in cirrhotic patients with ascites. The mortality rate in those patients ranges from 40-70%.Aim: to assess level of serum and ascetic fluid polymorph nuclear leucocytes (PMN), high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with SBP before and after treatment. Methods: A cohort study was done on 114 patients SBP admitted in the Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University during the period from December 2017 to September 2018. All patients were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, routine laboratory investigation, ultrasonography and ascitic fluid sampling. They was followed up for 5 days from starting treatment by parenteral third generation cephalosporin and peripheral blood (PMN), serum (hs-CRP), ascitic fluid PMN and hs-CRP were measured again.Results: the largest percentage of the patients were male, had posthepatitic C cirrhosis and child C score. There was statistically non-significant difference between antibiotic responders and non-responders regarding peripheral blood PMN before or five days after antibiotic use. There was statistically non-significant difference in ascitic fluid PMN, serum and ascitic fluid hs-CRP before treatment while the difference is significant between both groups regarding them five days after treatment. Percent change in serum hs-CRP was equal to that of ascitic fluid PMN. Percent change in ascitic fluid hs-CRP was comparable to that of ascitic fluid PMN. Conclusion: Serum and ascitic fluid hs-CRP level can be considered as alternative prognostic markers in cirrhotic patients with SBP

Epidemiological evidence from Zaire for a dietary etiology of konzo, an upper motor neuron disease

A clear association between seasonal outbreaks of a paralytic disease called konzo and toxic effects from consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava roots has been demonstrated in Bandundu region, Zaire. A community-based survey of 6764 inhabitants identified 110 live and 24 dead konzo-affected persons with a history of isolated non-progressive spastic paraparesis of abrupt onset. The start of these annual outbreaks of konzo in 1974 coincided with the completion of a new tarmac road to the capital, which facilitated the transport of cassava and made it the main cash crop. The extensive cassava sales encouraged the consumption by the peasant families of roots that had not been adequately processed; frequent acute cyanide intoxications resulted when the naturally occurring cyanogens in the roots were eaten. The disease mainly appeared in the dry season when there was high consumption of insufficiently processed cassava and the diet lacked supplementary foods with sulfur-containing amino acids which promote cyanide detoxification. These results, which confirm the earlier findings in East Africa, show that, owing to the high cyanide and low sulfur dietary intake, there is an increased risk of konzo outbreaks in cassava-growing areas during periods of adverse agro-economic changes