Lesional skin vascular endothelial growth factor levels correlate with the clinical severity in patients with cement allergic contact dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis to cement is a common occupational skin disease. It is a delayed-type hypersensitity reaction with Th1 type cytokine response. Interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma] is recognized as the main effector cytokine in contact hypersensitivity [CHS]. Vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] might be involved in persisting erythema and edema in eczematous skin. Human VEGF is a multifactorial cytokine that not only promotes angiogenesis but also enhances vascular permeability and participates in chronic inflammation. Thirty two building workers with chronic allergic contact dermatitis due to occupational exposure to cement and twenty healthy controls were included. The severity of eczema was assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity index [EASI]. VEGF and IFN-gamma in serum and skin lesions were measured in patients and healthy controls. Patients with cement allergic contact dermatitis showed significantly elevated levels of serum and lesional skin levels of VEGF compared to healthy controls [p=0.005 and p=0.001 respectively]. They also had significantly higher serum and tissue IFN-gamma levels compared to controls [p=0.007 and p=0.001 respectively. A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between skin tissue levels of VEGF and EASI score in patients with cement allergic contact dermatitis [r=0.86, p=0.001]. VEGF and IFN-gamma might play a role in the pathogenesis of cement allergic contact dermatitis. Lesional skin VEGF levels could be an indicator of the severity of eczema

Fetus in fetu

Fetus in fetu is a rare abnormality secondary to the abnormal embryo genesis in a diamniotic, monochorionic pregnancy. To our knowledge fetus in fetu originally described by Meckel in the late J8th century [Senyuz et al, 1992], it is a rare pathological condition fewer than 100 cases were reported in the literature [Thakral et al, 1998,, we reported a 2 months old girl suffering from abdominal mass since birth, and referred to the Cancer Institute as suspicious of Wilms tumor, conventional radiograph of the abdomen revealed a mass containing numerous calcifications, C. T scan showed a heterogeneous retroperitoneal mass with well-defined calcified structures within the mass. The decision was made for surgical exploration, [he diagnosis was made intra-operatively and the mass was successfully excised, physical examination of the mass with review of literature confirmed the diagnosis of fetus in fetu. Although it is a rare condition imaging may play an important role in our ability to correctly diagnose cases in a prospective fashion. Surgical excision is the recommended treatment

Corrected QT dispersion [QTDC] improves the diagnostic performance of treadmill exercise test in diagnosing coronary artery disease [CAD]

To find out the best combination of parameters; clinical and exercise induced hemodynamic and electrocardiographs, that could improve the diagnostic performance of exercise test. Exercise test and coronary angiography were performed for 112 patients with angina pectoris and normal electrocardiogram. The univariate predictors of the presence of CAD were aged >/= 40 years, male gender, hypertension, smoking, typicality of chest pain, development exertional chest pain, shorter exercise duration, decrease systolic blood pressure [BP] >/= 10 mmHg or systolic BP 3 min post-exercise >90% peak, heart rate drop <12 b/m one minute post exercise, exercise induced ST-segment depression >/= 1 mm, ST/HR slope >/= 2.4 microV/beat/minute, increased T amplitude >/= 2.5 mm, lengthening or no change of P wave duration, decrease or no change in Q wave depth, either R wave increase >/= 2mm or decrease >/= 1mm, QTD >60 ms, QTDc >70 ms, Q-X/QT ratio in V5 >0.5 and delta QTD rest to peak exercise >/= 16 mm and. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis we proved that using either ST depression >/= 1 mm or QTDc >70 ms as a positive exercise test significantly improved the sensitivity and the negative predictive value of the test without a significant decrease in the specificity. Using either ST depression >/= 1 mm or QTDc >70 ms as a positive exercise test improves the diagnostic performance of the test