Vaginal fetal fibronectin and maternal dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels as selection criteria for induction of labour: a correlation study with bishop score

This study aimed to evaluate the predictive efficacy of two biochemical markers, the vaginal fetal fibronectin and maternal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate for the fate of labor induction attempt. The reliability as well as the efficacy of their use together with Bishop score as selection criteria for induction of labor were also assessed. One hundred women with singleton pregnancies above 37 weeks gestation and with various indications for induction of labor with no signs of maternal of fetal compromise were enrolled in this study. After clinical assessment and fulfillment of selection criteria, patients were randomly allocated in two equal groups to have either vaginal fetal fibronectin [FFN] [GI=50] or maternal serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [DHEAS] [GII=50] as a biochemical marker. Prior to induction of labor, all women were subjected to a detailed medical history, clinical examination including the cervical Bishop scoring, ultrasonographic assessment and estimation of the offered biochemical marker in each group. Induction-active phase interval was measured for all participants. The main outcome measures were mean concentrations of vaginal [FFN] and maternal [DHEAS], bishop score and induction-active phase interval. From this study, it was concluded that both fetal fibronectin and maternal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate are effective predictors of the induction-active phase interval

Study of some cytokines in active and inactive tuberculosis

This study included 10 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, 10 patients with inactive disease and 20 healthy individuals as controls. T cell proliferation assay with PPD antigen showed higher stimulation index [SI] in the inactive compared with the active tuberculous patients [9.53 +/- 2.75 vs. 4.61 +/- 1.67, respectively] reflecting the good status of the immune system towards mycobacterial antigen. Gamma interferon [IFN] level [pg/ml] was significantly higher in the inactive than the active tuberculous patients and controls [210.24 +/- 58.57, 79.20 +/- 21.79 and 32.89 +/- 33.58, respectively]. Similar results were shown for IL-2, where its level [pg/ml] in the inactive patients was significantly higher than the active tuberculous patients [234.92 +/- 51.47 vs. 99.26 +/- 19.20, respectively]. On the other hand, IL-10 was significantly higher in the active than the inactive patients [435.23 +/- 78.22 vs. 235.98 +/- 50.74 pg/ml, respectively] indicating a dominant Th2 type response during the course of TB infection. Tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF- alpha] was significantly higher in the active than the inactive tuberculous patients [402.46 +/- 57.44 vs. 188.64 +/- 59.82 pg/ml, respectively]. The tuberculostatic effects of INF-alpha and TNF-alpha in the active stage of the disease were discussed

Some immunological abnormalities in bronchiectatic children

This study was conducted on - twenty patients with bronchiectasis and 20 apparently healthy children. Their ages ranged from 6-12 years. This article examined the immunoglobulins level [IgG, IgM. IgA] alpha-1 antitrypsin and auto-antibodies on 20 bronchiectatic children as well as 20 control Children The studied group showed a significant [P<0.05] higher mean lgG and IgA as compared to the control group. As regard IgM and alpha-1- antitrypsin there was increased mean levels of IgM and alpha-1- antitrypsin among bronchiectatic children but this was statistically insignificant. Auto-antibodies showed highly significant value [P<0.01] when compared to control. There was a positive significant correlation [P<0.05] between alpha-1 - antitrypsin and IgG while this correlation was insignificant [P>0.05] between alpha-1 -antitlypsin and gM as well as alpha-1 antitrypsin and IgA bronchiectatic children