Assessment of CMV infection in immunosuppressed patients

Cytomegalovirus is a common opportunistic infection that may lead to serious complications especially in immunocompromised patients. In our study we aimed at assessment of the extent of that infection in different groups of patients known to be immunocompromised. We chose 30 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 30 patients with renal failure some of them were under dialysis and others were not and 30 patients with hepatic schistosomiasis in addition to 30 normal control group. To all of them routine investigations were done in addition to blood samples analyzed for CMV [IgG, IgM]. We found in all groups generally higher incidence of CMV infection compared to the control group with some variations among the different groups. We came to the conclusion that CMV is an opportunistic infection which is more common among immunocompromised patients. That infection may be serious with complications. It should be searched for among those groups of patients and treated as early as possible. Further studies are needed for other groups of immunocompromised patients and for other opportunistic infections

Glutamine study in hepatic schistosomiasis and effect of conventional medical therapy

The liver plays a major role in urea and glutamine metabolism where it maintains ammonia and bicarbonate homeostasis under physiological and pathological conditions. Glutamine assessment in different liver diseases showed deviations from normal serum values. In the present study, glutamine level in serum [serum glutamate values] [SGV] and liver tissue homogenates liver homogenate glutamine values] [LHGV] in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis with and without conventional supportive medical therapy and anti-schistosomal therapy were correlated. LHGV in liver tissue homogenates from cases were higher than those of matched controls. SGV of patients with late hepatic schistosomiasis were greater than those with early stages of the disease. All patients, whether in early or late schistosomal hepatic fibrosis, showed reduction of SGV after treatment. We came to the conclusion that in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis, whether early or late, there is a derangement of glutamine metabolism which could be corrected partially by the conventional supportive medical therapy. Again, estimation of glutamine in serum could be considered an early and reliable parameter for the assessment of liver function in patients

Study of toxoplasma infection in immuno-compromised patients

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoal disease, which is now of increasing incidence. It commonly appears as opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Usually, it carries a latent or subclinical course of infection. In the present study we tried to evaluate toxoplasmosis in groups of patients who are known to be immunocompromised, i.e. of low immunity, hence liable to opportunistic infections. So, groups of patients with leprosy, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchogenic carcinoma, sarcoidosis, collagen disease, diabetes mellitus, renal failure and advanced malignancy were chosen for the study in addition to a control group. To all of them we assessed cell-mediated immunity qualitatively by the migration inhibition test and testing for toxoplasmosis by the indirect haemagglutination test, in addition to routine laboratory investigations and specific investigations for selection of cases. A higher incidence of toxoplasmosis was found in most of the groups compared to the control group and to the general incidence in the community, which suggests a relation between cell-mediated suppression in the study groups and infection with toxoplasmosis