Role of clinical hematological, biochemical and serological assays in management of brucellosis

Brucellosis is an infectious disease. Brucellosis can be suspected by clinical presentation and may produce hematological and biochemical changes of liver function. Ninety nine patients of brucellosis and twenty normal individuals were included in this study. The cases were classified into 4 subgroups [1, 2, 3 and 4] according to the regimen of therapy applied. The brucella organisms were isolated, and were presented by blood culture in 60 cases and were negative in 39 cases. The clinical, hematological, liver function and serological tests were investigated before and two weeks following treatment. The main symptoms of brucella patients were fever 100%, headache 68.6%, arthralgia 66.7%, myalgia 68.7%, anorexia 25.3%, sweating 58.6%, rigors 51.5%, abdominal discomfort 17.2%, cough 9.1% and dysuria in 31.3%. The main signs include fever with mean of 38.9C, hepatomegaly 31.3% and splenomegaly in 49.5%. Before treatment, anemia was presented in 63.6%, leucopenia in 58.6%, monocytosis 61.6%, and ESR was high in 97.9% of cases. Liver function tests were affected in brucellosis in which hyperbilirubinemia in 34.3%, alkaline phosphatase enzyme was raised in 30.3%, aspartate transaminase enzyme was high in 27.3% and alanine transaminase enzyme was elevated in 33.3%. There were significant difference in the blood picture and liver function tests between the cases of brucella and the normal control [P <0.0001]. Two weeks after treatment all symptoms and signs were improved and disappeared

Effect of splenectomy on some aspects of the immune response in cases of bilharzial hepatic fibrosis

The phagocytic activity of the circulating polymorph-nuclear leucocytes together with the serum level of C3, IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE and the C.O.P.T. were measured in 55 male Egyptians. The study included as well liver functions and the haemogram. The subjects were classified into the following groups: [1] Group 1, included 30 patients suffering from B.H.F. without ascites and free from bilharzial activity. [2] Group II, included 10 subjects with traumatic rupture of the spleen non-bilharzial. [3] Group III, Comprising 15 healthy control subjects. These investigations were done in groups I and II before, 1 and 4 weeks after splenectomy. For Group III, the investigations were done once. The results revealed a significant decreased phagocytic activity and a significant decrease in the opsonic index, serum C3, IgA and IgM while serum IgG and IgE showed a significant increase in the B.H.F. group. Splenectomy resulted in a significant elevation of serum IgA, IgE, C3 and the phagocytic activity as well as the grading of the C.O.P reaction [4th week] in the B.H.F. group. Splenectomy of the traumatic ruptured spleen resulted in a significant decrease n serum IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, the phagocytic activity and the opsonic index. C3 was almost unchanged. The liver functions were not affected by splenectomy. The haemogram showed a significant elevation from the release of the splenic pooling. The results were discussed in the text