Formulation and evaluation of a colon drug delivery system containing diflunisal

Oral drug delivery is the most desirable and preferred method of administering therapeutic agents for providing both systemic and local effects in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, greater emphasis has been placed on controlling the site and/or rate of drug release from oral formulations to improve treatment efficacy and patient compliance. Many novel oral drug therapeutic systems have been invented like fast release, targeted release and colon specific drug delivery systems etc... During the last decade there has been an interest in developing site specific formulations for targeting to the colon. The delivery of drugs to the colon has a number of therapeutic implications in the field of drug delivery. Localized delivery of the drugs in the colon is possible only when the drug is protected from the hostile environment of upper GIT. The various approaches that can be exploited to target the release of drug to colon include prodrugs, coating with pH sensitive polymers, coating with biodegradable, timed release systems, osmotic and bioadhesive polymers. In the present study, solid dispersions of pH-dependent, time dependent and combined pH and time-dependent systems were formulated using Eudragit RS100, Eudragit S100, Eudragit L100 and ethylcellulose, with different drug-to-polymer ratios. They were evaluated for their in-vitro release characteristics in an attempt to develop a colon-specific delivery system containing Diflunisal. Release studies of Diflunisal and Diflunisal solid dispersion systems with different polymers were employed using Release apparatus, USP [paddle type] [copley, England] showed that, the combination of pH- and time-dependent systems provided better results than the pH-dependent or the time dependent system alone. Using Eudragit S100 and Eudragit RS100 with Diflunisalin a ratio 2:3:1, respectively for preparing a solid dispersion used for developing a colon-specific delivery system of Diflunisal was the most successful formula. This formula released 0.22 +/- 0.03% of the drug included in it in the stomach pH and 26.29 +/- 0.91% of the drug in the intestine pH and 77.59 +/- 1.79% of the drug in the colon pH

Prediction of viraemia in Anti - HCV positive haemodialysed patients

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus [HCV] to establish a new reference alanine aminotransferase [ALT] value for hemodialyzed [HD] patients and to determine its role in predicting viremia in anti-HCV-positive HD patients. Four subject groups were studied: Group I, hepatitis-free healthy controls with normal kidney function [no = 100]; group II, hepatitis-free HD patients [no = 37]; group III, non-viremic anti-HCV positive HD patients [no = 33] and group IV, viremic anti-HCV positive HD patients [no = 85]. In addition, five viremic anti-HCV-negative HD patients were included. ALT used for calculation was the mean of the four times measured during the study for each patient. Anti-HCV antibodies were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] [fourth generation] and PCR screening for HCV was performed twice during the year of the study. The results of the study showed that the mean ALT value of group II was significantly lower than in group I. No significant difference was found between groups II and III and the mean ALT value in group IV was highly significant than groups II and III. The upper limit for ALT in hepatitis-free HD patients was determined at 43 U/L. The sensitivity of the mean ALT value in the diagnosis of HCV viremia was 47%, the specificity was 97% and the positive predictive value was 97.6%

Estimation of IL - 6 levels in Chronic Renal failure patients and renal transplant recipients

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of uremia, hemodialysis and kidney transplantation on the levels of IL-6 in plasma and to investigate its role in acute allograft rejection. The study comprised 160 individuals who were classified into four groups: The healthy controls [no = 22], chronic renal insufficiency [CRI] patients on conservative treatment [no = 46], the hemodialyzed patients [no = 46] and the transplant recipients [no = 46]. The transplant group was further subdivided into three subgroups: The stable graft [no = 28], the rejection [no = 15] and the primary non- functioning graft [no = 3] subgroups. IL-6 was determined by solid phase sandwich ELISA technique using biosource international human IL-6 kit. It was concluded that plasma IL-6 levels were highly elevated in CRI and hemodialyzed patients. After transplantation, its level was within the normal range for stable graft subgroup, but it raised during pre-rejection and reached its peak during rejection and started to decline slowly after anti-rejection therapy. So, the serial monitoring of IL-6 after transplantation was recommended for the prediction of acute rejection and a further investigation on a larger scale is necessary to clarify this point

Prevalence of B-thalassemia carriers among Egyptian school students

This study was carried out on randomly selected 550 students divided into 2 groups. For all students, complete medical history, thorough clinical examination and complete blood count were done. The results revealed anemia in 76/250 among group I and in 63/300 among group II, microcytosis in 39/250 among group I and in 56/300 among group II as well as high HbA2 in 41/250 among group I and in 27/300 among group II. Based on microcytosis and high HbA2, the results detected beta-thalassemia carriers in 41/250 among group I and in 27/300 among group II. Group I had a significantly higher prevalence rate of anemia, microcytosis, high HbA2 and beta-thalassemia carriers than group II. This might be due to the differences in the diet consumed, the prevalence rate of parasitic infestations and the higher rate of consanguineous marriage in group I that may lead to the propagation of the recessive traits

potential role of Rattus rattus in enzoonotic cycle of Rift Valley Fever in Egypt. 2 - Application of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PcR] in blood samples of Rattus rattus

A reverse transcriptase -polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] was applied to detect Rift Valley Fever Virus [RVF-V] in blood samples of Rattus rattus [R. rattus] collected from 3 different governorates of Egypt, Alexandria, Behira and Minia governorates [one hundred each]. Out of 300 blood samples 29 [9.67%] were positive for RVF-Virus by RT-PCR with higher percent in Behira governorate rural areas [16%], followed by Minia governorate rural areas [13.85%] while the lowest percent was in Alexandria governorate urban areas [0.00%]. The overall percent in rural areas were [13.5%] while it was only [2.0%] in urban areas. Our Study suggests that, this R.rattus play an important role in the maintenance cycle of RVF-V in rural areas of Egypt

Foot and mouth disease [FMD]: serological investigation in some farms of Alexandria governorate of Egypt

Suspected cases of foot and mouth disease [FMD] in cattle were noted in some farms of Alexandria governorate during the period from January to March 2000. The investigated cattle suffered from oral and foot lesions associated with lameness in addition to fever in some and inappetance in others. At the same time, the contact workers and veterinarian suffered from fever during the course of the disease in cattle. Blood samples were withdrawal from suspected cases of cattle [31 cows] and from 24 contact cases. Saliva and vesicular lesions of the tongue were taken on glycerol buffer saline for isolation and serotyping of FMD virus by hyperimmune sera. The virus was isolated from all saliva and vesicular lesions of the diseased animals and serotyped as FMD01. Only 10 out of 24 contact cases were positive by ELISA for anti-FMD antibodies. Also, 25 blood samples were withdrawal from contact persons with diseased animals and were suffered from fever. While, 25 blood samples were taken from contact persons who did not suffer from fever. Moreover, 5 blood samples were taken from persons who were not in contact with any veterinary source [children] and were used as negative control. A total of 13 out of 25 and 2 out of 25 were positive for anti-FMD antibodies from diseased and contact persons, respectively

Physical and psychological study of different presentations of rheumatic fever and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders after streptococcal infection

A recent line of research has suggested that autoimmune-mediated central nervous system manifestations of Group A-beta hemolytic streptococcal [GABHS] infection may not be restricted to Sydenham chorea [SC] but may include a range of neurobehavioral disturbances that has been termed pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder after streptococcal infection [PANDAS]. To clarify the clinical link between rheumatic fever and its variant rheumatic chorea and PANDAS. This study was done on 86 children. Their ages ranged from 5 to 15 years. They were among the patients admitted to the Pediatric Department, Tanta University Hospital. They were classified into 5 groups: [A] Six patients with PANDAS, [B] Twenty rheumatic chorea patients, [C] Twenty children with non-choreic rheumatic fever, [D] Twenty patients with recent GABHS infection, and [E] Twenty healthy children as controls. They were subjected to history taking, clinical examination and psychiatric and psychometric assessment. Serum samples were taken for the following laboratory investigations: CBC, ESR, ASOT and CRP. The children were also subjected to ECG and X-ray chest and heart in addition to colored echo-Doppler examination. A significant increase in psychiatric manifestations was found in rheumatic chorea. Great similarities between PANDAS and rheumatic chorea patients were found as regard physical, psychiatric and laboratory findings. Both PANDAS and SC had no significant differences as regards prevalence or the type of psychiatric manifestations. Psychiatric manifestations should be looked for in rheumatic patients. Assessment of psychiatric patients for possible early presentation of rheumatic fever should be done. PANDAS should be studied in further researches to detect epidemiology and relation to rheumatic fever and SC

potential role of rattus rattus in enzootic cycle of rift valley fever in Egypt 1- detection of RVF antibodies in R. rattus blood samples by both enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay [ELISA] and immuno-diffusion technique [ID]

Three hundreds of Rattus rattus [R. rattus] were trapped from 3 different governorates of Egypt [one hundred each], blood samples were withdrawal and subjected for detection of anti-RVF antibodies by both ELISA and ID techniques. The prevalence rate of antibodies by ELISA were 88 [29.33%] positive out of 300 tested blood samples, the highest rate was in Behira governorate 36 [36%] and the lowest one was in Alexandria governorate 22 [22%] while it was 30 [30%] in Minia governorate. But when ID technique was applied it gave only 18 [6%] positive samples out of 300 tested blood samples with the highest rate in Behira and Minia governorates [8%] and it was only [2%] in Alexandria governorate. Our study suggests that these R. rattus make possible candidate as intermediate host in the maintenance cycle of RVF in Egypt

Clinico epidemiological and laboratory features of acute respiratory infections in the first five years of life

This study was carried out on 330 patients with acute respiratory infections [ARI] aged 2-60 months, 242 males and 88 females. They were selected from the autpatients of the pediatric departments by systematic random manner. These patients were classified into mild [272], moderate [28] and severe [30] ARI according to WHO 1988 classification. Each case was subjected to complete history intake, physical examination and laboratory investigations as x-ray chest, C.B.C., Culture. The results showed that, low birth weight, parent smoking, artificial feeding, high crowding index [> 4], mother illiteracy, poor vaccination compliance and malnutrition were risk factors for ARI. The moderate and severe cases of ARI had significant higher level of total leucocytes and polymorphnucleus, E.S.R., C.R.P., than mild cases and the serum IgG was lower in severe ARI than moderate and mild cases. The bacteriological studies revealed that positive throat swab was found in 29 [10.6%], 15 [53.5%] and 18 [60%] cases of the mild, moderate and severe ARI respectively while blood culture was positive in 17 [29.3%] cases of moderate and 16 [53%] cases of the severe ARI. The most common pathogenic organisms detected were streptoccus pneumoniae then H. inftuenza type B and lastly staph, aureus