Identification of anaerobic bacteria in bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis [BV] is the most prevalent form of vaginal disturbance in women of childbearing age. The goal of this study was: Diagnose of BV in the studied women and determining the associated risk factors, isolation and identification of anaerobic bacteria in diagnosed women. This study was conducted on 150 women at their reproductive age attending The Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Benha University Hospital as out-patients and in-patients with age range 19-40 years after taking their consents. Two high vaginal swabs were taken from each woman. One swab was placed in a tube of sterile cooked meat broth medium for anaerobic culture; the other was placed in a tube of normal saline for wet mount and Gram staining. BV was diagnosed by clinical composite criteria of Amsel and by Gram staining. Isolation of anaerobic bacteria was done on Robertson cooked meat medium followed by subculture on the general selective blood agar for anaerobes and then different selective blood agars for different anaerobes. Further identification to the species level was done using Rap ID ANA II system. BV was diagnosed in 62 women [41.3%] out of 150. Out of 62 women diagnosed as BV, anaerobes were isolated from 44 [71%], from them77 anaerobic strains were isolated. Out of which 46[60%] were Gram positive and 31[40%] were Gram negative. There was a high significant statistical correlation between isolation of anaerobes and complications of pregnancy [p <0.001]. There was a significant statistical correlation [p

Circulating interleukin-18 and osteopontin in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and their correlation with disease activity

Abstract: This study was done on 44 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. They were 33 [75%] males, and 11 [25%] females. Their age ranged from 17-53 years [mean +/- SD = 37.64 +/- 9.71 years]. They were classified according to chest x ray into 3 groups, group A: 15 patients with far advanced lesion, group B: 15 patients with moderately advanced lesion, and group C: 14 patients with minimal lesion. The study also included 18 age and sex matched healthy individuals as a control. All are subjected to thorough history taking, full clinical examination, complete blood count [CBC], Erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], chest x ray, tuberculin test, and bacteriological examination of sputum for Mycobacterium tuberculosis including smear stained with Ziehl Neelsen [ZN] stain and culture on Lowenstein Jensen [LJ] medium. The circulating levels of IL-18 and osteopontin [OPN] were also measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] method. The results showed that the circulating levels of IL-18 and OPN were significantly higher in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis than in the control group [both P < 0.001], and higher in group B than in group C [P = < 0.001] indicating that the circulating levels of IL-18 and OPN correlated positively and significantly with disease activity. The circulating levels of IL-18 and OPN were also measured in 19 patients only, 6 months after treatment with antituberculous drugs. The results showed that the levels were significantly higher in patients before treatment than after treatment [P = < 0.001 in both] but the levels do not return to normal

Conclusion: Circulating levels of IL-18 and OPN can be used as markers of disease activity. They can also be used for monitoring response to antituberculous therapy

Oxidant / antioxidant imbalance in bronchial asthma: study of the effect of antioxidant therapy

Due to the great controversy about the role of free radicals in the pathogenesis, and the antioxidants in therapy of asthma we created this study, the concentrations of Malondialdehyde [MDA], vitamins [A and E] in plasma were measured in [20] patients with mild asthma [Group I], [20] patients with sever asthma [Group II] and [10] healthy control [Group III]. Baseline pulmonary function tests were also performed. Group I and II [asthmatic groups] were given vitamin A [3000 IU] and vitamin E [300 1U] daily for one week, then the above parameters were re-assayed. Asthmatic patients [Group I and II] had a significant higher level of MDA and lower levels of vitamins A and E than normal control [p < 0.001]. These changes were more statistically evident in Group II than Group I [p < 0.001]. The Group I and II show a significant inverse relation between MDA and vitamins [A and E] levels before and after therapy [r value was greater than - 0.4 for vitamin A and greater than - 0.6 for vitamin E]. Also, direct relation between vitamins [A and E] levels and FEVI before and after therapy were detected. After antioxidant therapy, a significant decrease in MDA level [p < 0.001], increase in vitamins [A and E] levels [P < 0.001 for both] and a significant improvement in FEVI [p < 0.05 for Group I and p < 0.001 for Group II] were found in both asthmatic groups [I and II]. These data suggest that bronchial asthma is associated with a higher oxidant load and lower antioxidant defense which entails the use of antioxidants as a line of therapy in asthmatic patients

Bronchial reactivity in patients with nasal polyps before and after polypectomy

The surgical treatment of nasal polyps [in bronchial hyperreactive patients] is still controversial today because of the contradictory, in consisten. and unforeseen results reported in. the literature. 44 patients with nasal polyposis, with no prior history of polypectomy, were included in this study. Patients were studied with ventilatory function tests and metbacholine inhalation challenge [the provoking concentration.PD20, was assessed] before and 3 months after undergoing nasal polypectomy to determine the prevalence of bronchial hyperreactivity [BHR], and to assess the effect of polypectomy on bronchial reactivity. Patients with nasal polypi without asthma [23] 8 [34.8%] had no evidence of B.H.R. [PD20 > 4130 micro gm] while the other 15 patients [65.2%] had bronchial hyperreactivity not reaching the range of asthma [PD20 < 4130 but not reaching [600 micro gmj. After polypectomy of 15 non asthmatic hyper-reactive patients the mean increase in FVC, FEV1 and PD20 were statistically significant. In 8 non asthmatic non hypereactive patients the mean increase in FVC, FEV1, FVC / FEV1% were non significant and the mean PD20 was unchanged. In 21 asthmatic patients [PD20 [600 [gm] the mean increase in FVC, FEV1, FVC / FEV1% and PD20 were non significant Our study indicates that [1] bronchial hyperreactivity is common in nasal polyposis, [2] nasal polypectomy significantly decrease bronchial hyperreactivity in asymptomatic bronchial hyperreactive patients but not for the asthmatic one. Improvement of the asthmatic condition may be partly dependent upon a global toeatment of the patients. We recommended for proceeding with surgery in asymptomatic hyperreactive patients but in asthmatic patients when suffering from complete nasal obstruction