Prevalence and factors associated with syphilis among pregnant women attending antenatal care, Khartoum State, Sudan

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence, predisposing factors of syphilis among the pregnant women attending antenatal care service, Khartoum state 2009.Methods: Descriptive cross- sectional study conducted among a simple random sample of 700 pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services in Khartoum State health facilities. The data were collected by a questionnaire and blood samples investigation by using the Rapid Plasma Reagent Test (RPR). Descriptive method as well as inferential statistics were used for data analysis.Results: Most of the respondents were housewives (90.7%). (92%) of them were married for the first time, 81.1% had formal education. 39% know nothing about syphilis. Only 13.5 % knew the right causative agent, but some of them had information about the ways of protection. 38% of them had knowledge about unsafe or unprotected sex. 26% mentioned that having sex with one partner is very important for their safety. The most common sources of their information were friends followed by TV, radio and health personal. The overall Syphilis sero-prevalence was (3%). (63.6%) of the respondents knew about the possibility of transmission from the infected pregnant mother to her child. only (44.6%) of them heard about condoms, of them only (47.3%) had seen condoms and (50.8 %) knew from where to get it. 33.3% had used the condoms. (3%) of the participating pregnant ladies stated that they had sex outside the marriage and (73%) of them had it during marriage.Conclusions: The main recommendations were to augment syphilis diagnosis and treatment in antenatal care service and sexually transmitted disease programs, and to conduct effective health education programs to raise the awareness about the disease, its prevention and control to the good of the pregnant ladies and to the community at large.

Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine in children with systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [SLE] is an autoimmune rheumatic disease and glomerulonephritis is a challenging complication of SLE which is more frequent in children. Thymus and activation - regulated chemokine [TARC] is a hemostatic chemokine and TARC production is induced rapidly thus providing an important link between early innate immune responses and adaptive immunity. The aim of the present work was to measure serum TARC in SLE patients and correlate it with disease activity in patients with clinically evident lupus nephritis versus patients without lupus nephritis. This study was conducted on thirty patients [26 females and 4 males] with SLE, regularly attending the Pediatric Allergy and lmmunology Clinic Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University. Their ages ranged between 9-16 years [mean +/- SD = 13.6 +/- 2.68 years]. Lupus patients were categorized into two groups according to lupus nephritis [LN]: Group I a [with LN] and Group I b [without LN]. Results of the previous two groups were compared to a control group comprised of 40 [27 females and 13 males] age and sex matched apparently healthy subjects whose ages ranged between 10 and 16 years [mean + SD= 12.95 +/- 2.68 years]. All participants were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, urine analysis, assessment of ESR, creatinine, C3, ANA Abs, anti-dsDNA Abs and serum TARC. All SLE patients were seropositive for ANA. Serum TARC levels were statistically highly significantly [p=<0.001] elevated in all lupus patients, in Group Ia, in Group lb all respectively compared to controls and also in Group Ia versus Group lb. As regards indicators of LN, serum TARC showed statistically highly significant [p<0.001] elevated levels in patients with hematuria, edema, hypertension and anti-dsDNA positivity than in those with negative indicators of LN. Serum TARC showed statistically significant [p<0.05] positive correlation with ESR and SLEDAT score in all lupus patients, statistically highly significant [p=<0.001] positive correlation with ESR [in group I a], 24 hrs urinary proteins [in all lupus patients and group I b] and serum creatinine [in all lupus patients, group I a and group I b]. In conclusion, serum TARC levels were statistically significantly higher in all lupus patients versus healthy controls being statistically significantly higher in LN patients with versus lupus patients without nephritis. Also, serum TARC had significant positive correlation to SLEDAI score and ESR indicating its correlation with disease activity

Study of amino acid disorders among a high risk group of Egyptian infants and children

The present work aimed at investigating infants [in neonatal and post neonatal period] and children suspected of having inborn errors of metabolism with unexplained mental retardation. The frequency pattern of the various amino acid disorders, in a group of selected infants and children was done to document the prevalence of various amino acid disorders among Egyptian children. In this study, recent methods to investigate such disorders have been carried out by amino acid analyzer which detects levels of amino acids. Extended metabolic screen which also detects amino acid disorders, organic acid disorders and the defects of fatty acid oxidation has been carried out. These recent methods have therefore the potential of yielding information on the physiological and pathophysiological status of different metabolic pathways, as well as their interrelationship. The total number of cases attending the outpatient clinic during the period of study were 1343 index cases, among them 50 index cases [3.72%] were suspected of having inborn errors of amino acid and, 20 cases [40%] of them have confirmed positive inborn errors of amino acid metabolism. Concerning the confirmed 20 cases, their ages ranged from 5 days to 11 years with a mean of 54.75 +/- 33.09 months with equally sex distribution. The overall consanguinity rate recorded was 65%, while the family history of the similarly affected cases was 30%. The main clinical findings included mental retardation 85%, convulsions 40%, and hypo pigmentation 75%, microcephally 15%. Associated anomalies were present in 35% of cases. Among them eye anomalies were the most common [8%]. The prevalence of aminoacidopathies during the period of the study was 1.5% [of 20 studied cases], among them PKU was found to be the commonest aminoacidopathies 1.11%, while the remaining diagnosed cases representing 0.07% for each

Tissue Doppler imaging in children with congenital hypothyroidism

The aim of the present work is to demonstrate the value of Tissue Doppler Imaging [TDI] compared to Conventional Color Doppler Echocardiography in detection of early cardiovascular changes in untreated versus adequately treated patients with Congenital Hypothyroidism [CH]. This study included forty patients with CH selected from regular attendants following up in the Pediatric Endocrinology clinic, Children's Hospital, Ain-Shams University. Cardio logical assessment was done in the Cardiology department, Ain Shams University Hospitals. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A [adequately treated patients] included 20 patients [10 males and 10 females, mean age = 7.1 +/- 5.6 years] and Group B [untreated patients] included 20 patients [10 males and 10 females, mean age = 8.23 +/- 5.7 years] who were studied before starting L-Thyroxine replacement therapy [Eltroxin]. Patients were compared to thirty [15 males and 15 females, mean age = 7.26 +/- 5.4 years] apparently normal age and sex matched controls. Patients and controls were subjected to the following : Full his- tory taking , thorough physical examination, bone age assessment , estimation of Free Thyroxine [FT4] and thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] initially at diagnosis [before starting L-Thyroxine replacement therapy] then periodically , standard twelve lead Electrocardiogram [ECG], Conventional Color Doppler Echocardiography and TDI. The results revealed a statistically highly significant difference [p <0.001] between the two patient groups [A and B] as regards height, serum levels of TSH and FT4 and a statistically non-significant difference [p>0.05] as regards R-wave amplitude at V1, V6 [x2 =1.17] and QRS-wave duration at V6 [x2 =0.931]. Conventional Echocardiography revealed mild pericardial effusion in ten patients [4 in group A and 6 in-group B], normal systolic and diastolic indices, and right and left sided chamber dimensions and none of the patients had congenital heart defects. There is a statistically significant difference [p<0.05] between the two groups of patients as regards mitral valve thickening [x2 =3.8], aortic valve thickening [x2=5.23] and mitral regurgitation [x2 =6.27]. TDI results of group A [adequately treated patients] versus the control group revealed a statistically significant [p<0.05] difference as regards septal mitral annular A- velocity and anterior tricuspid annular E-velocity while there was a statistically non significant difference [p>0.05] between them as regards all other TDI values denoting diastolic affection only .TDI results of group B [untreated patients] versus the control group revealed a statistically highly significant difference p<0.001] at the anterior mitral annular A- velocity , anterior tricuspid annular E-velocity and S-velocity and a statistically significant difference [p<0.05] at the inferior mitral annular A-velocity , at the septal and inferior mitral annular S velocity , tricuspid annular average E-velocity and S-velocity denoting systolic and diastolic affection. In conclusion the results of the present study demonstrated the value of TDI in assessment of patients with CH for detection of early cardiovascular changes that were undetected by Conventional Color Doppler Echocardiography. The absence of systolic impairment by TDI in group A [adequately treated patients] versus group B [untreated patients] indicates that adequate treatment with L-Thyroxine replacement therapy [Eltroxin] prevents such impairment and elucidates the importance of adequate replacement therapy [Eltroxin] in prevention of some cardiac complications of CH

Histological and immunohistochemical study on the immunomodulatory effect of nigella sativa oil and vitamin a in malathion induced toxicity in the splenic white pulp of mice

Malathion is a widely used organaphosphorous agropesticide, which caused serious pollution problems. It has been recently classified among the immunotoxicant chemicals

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of Nigella Sativa oil and Vitamin A in enhancing the antioxidant protective reactions against spleen injuries induced by Malathion in mice

Methods: 30 male mice were equally divided into 6 groups: Group 1 [control group] received 1/2 ml corn oil orally daily, group 2 received Nigella Sativa oil 200 mg/kg b.w. orally daily through gastric gavages for one month, group 3 received Vitamin A 140 IU/kg b.w. orally daily through gastric gavages for one month, group 4 received Malathion 30 mg /kg b.w. orally daily through gastric gavages for one month, group 5 and 6 received Malathion as in group 4 in conjunction with Nigella Sativa oil and Vitamin A respectively. Spleen specimens afall animals were stained by: Haematoxylin and Eosin and Prussian blue stains as well as CD3 and CD20 monoclonal antibodies

Results: Histological examination of the white pulp of the Malathion intoxicated spleen showed depletion of TIymphacytes from periarterial lymphatic sheath as evidenced in H and E sections and by immunohistochemical staining of T I ynzphacytes [CD3]. The immunohistochemical staining of Blymphocytes [CD20] revealed increased reaction. The Prussian blue stain revealed increased activity 0f macrophages. Concomitant administration of Nigella Sativa oil and Vitamin A with Malathion achieved a significant protection against Malathion induced immunataxieity as indicated by preservation of the lynzphaeytic content of the white pulp

Conclusion: Nigella Saliva oil and Vitamin A reduce the incidence of the Malathion-induced oxidative injuries to the spleen which is an important component of the immune system. They are recommended to be used as dietary supplements for popnulatians which are constantly exposed to organophosphorous pesticides

Mechanism of drug release from beads containing diclofenac sodium dispersed in compritol 888 and encapsulated in Alginate

Sustained release polymer beads containing- diclofenac sodium [DNa] dispersed in compritol 888 and encapsulated in calcium alginate shell were prepared by utilizing 2[3] factorial design. When the release data were fitted to the first-order equation, Higuchi square root equation or Hixson-Crowel cube root equation, first-order equation shows best fitting. The release data [570%] were also analyzed by the equation suggested by Ritger and Peppas. The exponent n was found to be higher than that expected from diffusion-controlled systems. Both diffusion and erosion contribute to the release of DNa from the beads

Glutathione peroxidase and selenium status: relation to outcome in neonatal sepsis with jaundice

To detect changes in serum levels of glutathione peroxidase [GPx] selenium [Se] and their relation to outcome of jaundiced septic neonates, the following study was conducted on thirty neonates. They were subdivided into group 1 [12 fullterms=FT] and group II [18 preterms-PT]. Twenty two age and sex matched apparently healthy neonates served as the control group. Results revealed that the difference between GPx and Se in FT jaundiced septic neonates [group I] versus FT controls was statistically nonsignificant [p >0 05] while the difference between them as regards total serum bilirubin was statistically highly significant [p< 0.001] Statistical comparison between results of GPx, Se and total serum bilirubin levels in PT jaundiced septic neonates [group II] compared to PT controls revealed a highly significant decrease of GPx and Se and increase in serum bilirubin [P < 0 001 respectively]. Of the studied group of septic preterms, six neontes died while no mortalities were reported in the studied group of septic fullterms during the period of the study GPx and Se were statistically significantly lower in group II [= PT] than in group I [=FT]. In conclusion, statistically significant GPx and Se decrease in PT jaundiced septic neonates [group II] can be used as predictors of outcome as regards mortality

Study of the impact of some hormones on brith weight

The aim of the present work was to study the relationship of neonatal leptin, insulin and human placental lactogen [hPL] to birth weight, gender difference and the maternal levels. Serum leptin, insulin and hPL were assessed in the cord blood of 60 neonates and the venous blood of their mothers. The neonates were classified according to their birth weight into 23 appropriate for gestational age [AGA] 20 large for gestational age [LGA] and 17 small for gestational age [SGA]. Data showed insignificant correlation of maternal hPL with insulin and leptin in both maternal and neonatal samples. Neonatal leptin, insulin and maternal hPL are important hormones that regulate the fetal growth and development. Insulin and leptin levels were significantly higher in the maternal blood than in the cord blood. Moreover, insignificant correlation was found regarding both hormones in the two compartments. Neonatal leptin and insulin showed no gender difference in neonates of different birth weights. The association of neonatal leptin or insulin with birth weight and the significant positive correlation between both are the determinative factors for the fetal birth weight