Evaluation of heat shock protein 70 in psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common chronic, relapsing, noninfectious inflammatory skin disease. The concept that psoriasis has a genetic basis has been accepted for many years and it is commonly thought of as a complex trait. Heat shock proteins [HSPs] are group of proteins whose expression is increased when the cells are exposed to elevated temperature or other stress.These proteins can be induced by a range of cellular stressors including increased temperature, oxidative stress and nutritional deficiencies. Hsps have been proposed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The aim of this work is to detect the expression of HSP70 in psoriasis and its correlation to the disease severity and to review potential role of HSP70 in pathogenesis and therapy of psoriasis. Skin biopsies were taken from 20 patients with different severity of untreated chronic plaque-type psoriasis and from 20 healthy volunteers. Antibodies to HSP70 were analyzed immunohistochemically. Immunoreactivity intensity distribution index [IRIDI] scores including the proportion of immunoreactive cells and their staining intensity were calculated in the basal, suprabasal, superficial as well as the whole epidermal layers of patients and controls. Results of our study revealed that differential and total IRIDI scores for HSP70 expression showed highly significant higher values in psoriatic patients compared to controls. Statistical differences were found between the different groups of patients; according to their disease severity and controls. Positive correlations also existed between IRIDI scores of patients and disease severity. Our study provides further evidence on the importance of Hsp70 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and shows increased Hsp70 expression in psoriatic epidermis correlated to increased severity of psoriasis. To our knowledge no previous studies made correlation with HSP70 expression in psoriasis and disease severity. Finally, we are looking forwards to the application of a new therapy that targets Hsp70 or its receptor CD91 and helps in treatment of psoriasis

HIA-class II gene polymorphism in IDDM

Susceptibility to develop IDDM was first found to be associated with class I molecules B8 and B15. Later, DR and DQ allelic genotypes have drawn attention world over to link their role with IDDM pathogenesis to find out the correlation between the frequency of HLA-DRB1, DQA1 and DQBl alleles and the pancreatic beta-cell function in IDDM patients in a trial to use it in clinical evaluation. 22 IDDM patients were studied and 10 healthy individuals of matched age and sex as control group. The patients were further subclassified into 13 patients with residual beta-cell function and 9 patients without residual beta-cell function. Statistical analysis of our results concluded that: DRB1 0304 allele has significant correlation with susceptibility to IDDM [being more common in 25% of patients than in controls 0%]. On the other hand, DRB1 0701 allele was found to be a protective allele against IDDM [segregated more frequently in controls 20% and abscent in patients 0%]. As regard DQA1 and DQBl alleles; the DQA1 0101 alleles has significant correlation with IDDM susceptibility [being more frequent in patients 22.7% and abscent in controls 0%]. Similarly, the DQBl 0201 allele was the most diabetogenic allele more frequent in patients 43.2% than in controls 5%, On the other hand DQA1 0102 and DQA1 0103 alleles are protective alleles against IDDM [segregated more frequently in controls 30% and 15% respectively and abscent in patients 0%]. Also DQBl 0601 allele is protective against IDDM [significantly more in controls 25% than in patients 4.5%]

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1] and Tumour Necreosis Factor Alpha [TNF-and] in Hodgkin lymphoma

ICAM-1 is a protein which act as mediator of close cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction. It influences and regulates basic cellular function as morphogenesis and immunoregulation. Serum ICAM-1 is used as a tool in the follow up of disease activity to detect metastatic cancer and relapses of haematological malignancies in an early phase. TNF-alpha plays a central role in inflammatory and immune responses, exhibits a cytotoxic activity against tumour cells and it is the most inducer of ICAM-1. The aim is to study the prognostic importance of serum level of both serum ICAM-1 and TNF-alpha in comparison with B[2]-Microglobulin and lactic dehydrogenase enzyme in different stages and states of non-hodgkins lymphoma [activity, remission and relapse]. Sixty newly diagnosed NHL patients not receiving any therapy as well as 20 healthy subjects matched in age and sex were the subject matter of this study. Eight patients with low grade NHL, thirty patients with intermediate grade and twenty two patients with high grade.Out of them fifty two patients were in remission and eighteen patients were in relapse. All subjects sera were analysed for ICAM-1, TNF-alpha, B[2-M] and LDH. The results showed significant elevation of serum ICAM-1 and TNF-alpha in all stages of NHL at diagnosis as compared to control group, the elevation correlated with Ann Arbor stages. ICAM-1 and TNF-alpha level were significantly correlated with the serum level of prognostic markers of NHL, B[2-M] and LDH, tumor burden and disease activity of remission and relapse

Endoscopic sclerotherapy plus ligation versus ligation for the management of esophageal varices

The aim of this work was to compare endoscopic scleroligation with endoscopic variceal ligation alone with regard to efficacy, complications, variceal recurrence and survival rate. Seventy-one patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices were included in this study; 35 treated by endoscopic scleroligation and 36 treated by endoscopic variceal ligation. Both methods were equally effective in achieving a complete eradication of esophageal varices. The recurrence rates in the endoscopic scleroligation group were significantly lower than those in the endoscopic variceal ligation group. The survival rates and incidence of complications were similar among patients treated by both methods. The combined method, endoscopic scleroligation, was superior to endoscopic variceal ligation alone in preventing variceal recurrence

Detection of trophoblastic disease in patients with post-abortive bleeding A clinicopathological study

The present study dealt with the detection of the various lesions of trophoblast in post-abortive bleeding cases. The material used was obtained from uterine curettings. Out of hundred uterine specimens examined, 32 revealed trophoblastic diseases. Hydatidiform mole represented the majority of cases [21 cases], while placental site reaction constituted 7 cases and the invasive mole were 3 cases and lastly choriocarcinoma was only one case

Hepatitis B antigen and tumour markers in liver and serum of patients with cancer liver

This study was conducted on one hundred patients having hepatocellular carcinoma as diagnosed clinically by ultrasonography and confirmed by histopathology. Hepatitis B antigen was detected in serum using ELISA method. Histochemical study was performed on 18 biopsy specimens using orcien stain. This method proved reliable for detecting hepatitis B antigen

Detection of different antigens complexed in psoriatic lesions using an immunoperoxidase technique

This work was conducted on twenty psoriatic patients, attending the Outpatient Clinic of Dermatology at Assiut University Hospital. Punch biopsies were taken from both involved and uninvolved skin. All the specimens were stained, immunohistochemically using IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. The presence or absence of immune complex was detected. It was noticed that all psoriatic lesions were stained positive with one or more of the immunoglobulins; in contrast to uninvolved skin of same patient

Effects of contraceptive steroids on rat's liver proteins and nucleic acids

The present study was carried out on 140 mature albino rats randomly divided into four groups. All rats were kept for seven days on the same normal diet from the day of injection. Each group was injected with a special dose of different contraceptives. Blood samples were taken from the heart, the animals were sacrificed and livers, lungs, uteri and ovaries were dissected for the histopathological and biochemical studies carried out on tissues

Effects of meniscrectomy on temporomandibular joint structure in dogs

Although the value of meniscectomy has been recently questioned the operation has been indicated in certain types of temporom and ibular joint diseases. This study aimed to evaluate roentgenographically and histologically the changes following unilateral meniscectomy in dogs. The results indicated that the operated as well as the unoperated sides demonstrated degenerative changes including flattening, resorption, erosion and osteophytes formation on the articular surfaces

Inhibition of rat brain nicotinic cholinergic receptors labeled by [3H] acetylcholine

The [3[H]] acetylcholine of high specific activity has used been used to measure cholinergic binding sites in rat brain in the presence of diisopropyl fluorophosphate [DFP] to prevent hydrolysis and atropine to block muscarinic cholinergic receptors. The highest specific binding obtained when the assay mixture was incubated at 4°C. Equilibrium was attained after 3 minutes at 37°C, 10 minutes at 25°C and 1 hour at 4°C, however, the equilibrium binding was the same at the three levels of temperatures. The inhibitory effect of coumachlor, coumatetralyl and warfarin against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors was also investigated. Warfarin was most effective compound in inhibiting the binding of [3[H]] acetylcholine while coumatetralyl was the least one in this respect

Influence of methylmercury and mercuric chloride administration of the functional state of rat brain muscarinic acetyicholine receptors

The effect of in vivo treatment with methylmercury [MeHg] and mercuric chloride [HgCl[2]] on the binding properties of muscarinic acetyicholine receptors in rat brain synaptosomes was investigated using the potent antagonist L-[[3]H] guinulidinyl benzilate [[3H] QNB] to study binding to the muscarinic receptors. Mercurial compounds were administered via gastric gavage in a single or multiple daily dose [8 mg/kg per dose]. In a single dose treatment the maximum inhibition [40-45%] of [3H] QNB binding was reached after 15 days of treatment with MeHg or HgCI[2]. When rats were treated with five successive doses, [3H] QNB binding decreased markedly with maximum inhibition of about 48% in 12 or 18 days after the last treatment with MeHg and HgCI[2], respectively. On the other hand, the ability of the muscarinic receptor agonist carbamoylcholine to displace [[3]H] QNB binding was not affected by treatment with these mercury compounds, suggesting that they do not have a differential effect on agonist or antagonist binding sites. MeHg caused a maximum inhibition of [3H]QNB binding faster than HgCI[2], and declined to control levels after 30 days