Maternal versus cord blood cytomegalovirus [CMV] antibodies

Forty seven maternal blood samples and their corresponding cord blood were chosen randomly from the delivery room of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Ain Shams Hospital. Full obstetric history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations included liver function tests, determination of CMV antibodies by ELISA technique and determination of hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] for neonates with elevated serum transferases were all performed. Results showed that 66% of mothers and 23.4% of the newborns were positive for CMV antibodies. This means that 35.5% of the positive mothers gave positive neonates and 64.5% gave negative neonates. No significant difference was detected between positivity of CMV antibodies and prematurity or skull circumference. Results also showed that 12 of the newborns had neonatal hepatitis, 6 of them were positive for CMV antibodies and 3 positive for both CMV antibodies and HBsAg. Follow up of these neonates to detect subsquent affection is recommended

Effect of treatment of bronchial asthma of IgE level in children

Thirty six children [age ranged between 1.5-11 years] were selected from those presented with bronchial asthma at the paediatric outpatient Clinic of Ain Shams University Hospital. Twenty healthy children with comparable age and sex were added as control group. Twelve patients were treated with corticosteroids, 12 with aminophylline and 12 with terbutaline sulphate. Patients were examined investigated twice [during the attack and 3 weeks after treatment]. Both patients and controls were subjected to estimation of total serum IgE by ELISA technique and determination of absolute eosinophilic count. Results showed significant elevation of IgE level and eosinophilic count of the patients. After cortiosteroid therapy a significant decrease in IgE and eosinophilic count was observed. It was concluded that estimation of serum IgE and absolute eosinophilic count could be used to monitor the response to corticosteroids in patients with bronchial asthma

Lymphocyte blastogenesis and interleukin-2 assay in schistosomiasis

The present study was conducted on 27 patients with schistosomiasis [22 males and 5 females] with age range [6-59 years] and 11 healthy controls with comparable age and sex. Patients were subjected to full clinical assessment, examination of urine, stools, liver function tests, rectal snips for Schistosoma ova and histopathological examination of liver biopsy. Immunological tests performed includes detection of specific 1gM and IgG to schistosomal antigens, lymphoblastoganasis in response to mitogenic and antigenic stimulation, IL-2 receptor detection and IL-2 assay. Results showed significantly low lymphopro-liferative to responses to phytohaemagg-lutinin and concanavalin A mitogens. Also a significantly elevated lymphopro-liferative responses to soluble egg antigen and soluble worm antigen preparation and a significant decrease in IL-2 and IL-2 receptor bearing cells in patients than controls were detected

Thyroid autoantibodies [haemagglutination versus indirect immunofluorescence] in thyrotoxicosis

The present study was conducted on 50 patients, 25 with Graves' disease [GD] and 25 with toxic nodular goitre [TNG. Twenty five normal subjects with comparable age and sex served as control group. Patients were diagnosed clinically and by estimation of thyroid hormones [T3, T4 and TSH]. Detection of antithyroglobulin [anti-Tg and antimicrosomal [anti-M] antibodies by both haemagglutination [HA] and indirect immunoflorescence [IIF] techniques was done for patients and controls. Results showed that anti-M antibodies were detected in 92% of patients with GD by IIF and in 72% by HA. Whereas, anti-Tg antibodies were detected in 72% and 56% respectively. Sensitivity of HA was found to be higher than IIF in detection of anti-Tg antibodies, but anti-M antibodies showed higher sensitivity for their detection by IIF. Specificity of IIF was 100% and of HA was 96% for anti-Tg and 92% for anti-M antibodies. It was concluded that detection of both anti-M and anti-Tg antibodies provide a more sensitive index of thyroid autoimmunity. However, if a single antibody has to be used for screening, the preference should be anti-M antibodies. Also it was found that IIF showed higher specificity, thus, it is recommended to be used for confirmation after screening with HA

Incidence of hepatitis D infection among acute virus hepatitis

In 166 patients presented at the Liver Institute, University of Menofeya with acute virus hepatitis, routine liver function tests were performed. In addition, a wide scale serological study was performed. This includes detection of IgM antibody against cytomegalovirus and Ebstein-Barr virus and also detection of virus hepatitis markers [IgM antibody against hepatitis A, hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody, hepatitis B "e" antigen and antibody, hepatitis B core antibodies "IgM and IgG" and delta antibodies "IgM and IgG". Results showed that the incidence of delta hepatitis is 7% in delta co-infection and 15% in delta superinfection with no significant difference between males and females. Results of the present study confirm that delta virus is endemic in Egypt

Studies on gastric bacterial growth and gastric PH in endemic schistosomal hepatosplenomegaly

Acid content and bacterial flora were studied in the gastric juice of 30 patients with endemic hepatosplenomegaly and 10 normal controls. The acid content in the gastric juice was significantly low in the group of patients. Also the bacterial flora were present in larger number of patients [80%] opposite to [30%] in normal control group

Study of cell mediated and humoral immunity in acute bacterial meningitis

Twenty [20] patients suffering from acute bacterial meningitis and ten [10] normal individuals were included in this study. Patient's age ranged from 3-50 years; they were chosen from Abassia Fever Hospital.Serum as well as CSF immunoglobulin G and M were measured at admittance and 2 days later. E rosette test was done and compared with the control group. Significant increase in IgM in CSF was recorded in early acute cases. IgG was significantly increased in CSF in both early and late cases. The increase in serum immunoglobulins was insignificant in all cases. Using E rosette test no significant difference was detected in T-lymphocytes in patient groups as compared with normal controls. From this work we can conclude that the increase in the type of CSF immunoglobulin could differentiate acute [increase in IgM] from late cases [increase in IgG]. Also we can conclude that cell mediated immunity has no role in bacterial meningitis as the increase in T lymphocytes was insignificant

Chlamydia trachomatis as an aetiological agent in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis

The sera of 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis [RA] diagnosed clinically and laboratory by positive latex test for rheumatoid factor were further subjected to Rose Waaler test to confirm the diagnosis. Using ELISA technique IgG antibodies against Chlamydia trachomatis, [CT] were not detected in the positive Rose Waaler samples [42 samples]. It was concluded that CT most probably is not involved in the etiology of seropositive RA in Egypt

Comparative study for the detection of the hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] by three different techniques

One hundred Serum samples referred to Ain Shams Specialized Hospital for hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] determination were studied. Three different techniques were performed; Enzyme linked immunosorbant assay [ELISA], Reversed passive haemagglutination [RPHA] and Latex agglutination [LA]. Results showed that the sensitivity of RPHA [85.7%] is higher than that of LA [64.3%]. Therefore the high flalse negative rate of LA [35.7%] makes it unsuitable technique except for previously diagnosed cases or in life saving situations. However the relatively lower false negative rate of RPHA [14.3%] permits its use in small laboratories which could not afford the cost of ELISA technique

Staining patterns of ANA on human epithelial [HEP-2] cell line versus mouse kidney [MK] substrate by indirect immunofluorescence

One hundred random serum samples referred to Ain Shams University Hospitals were subjected to ANA determination by indirect immunofluorescence on two different substrates: Mouse Kidney [MK] and human epithelial [HEP-2] cell line. Results on the two substrates used showed good correlation as regards the positivity of the test. Concerning the patterns observed, only two of the negative samples on MK substrate proved to be positive [nucleolar] on HEP-2 cell line. Another sample showed speckled pattern on MK substrate and appeared as anticentromere on HEP-2 cell line. The results indicate that the use of more than one substrate for ANA determination by indirect immunofluorescence technique may help in the diagnosis of various connective tissue diseases particularly those reported as ANA negative SLE patients. Detection of the unique patterns as anticentromere and antinucleolar are only achieved by using the cell lines as substrates

B2-microgolubulin [B2-M] levels in relation to anti-n-DNA detection in SLE patients

Twenty Samples from known systemic lupus erythematosis [SLE] patients received at Ain Shams University Hospitals were subjected to determination of anti n-DNA by indirect immunofluore-scence technique and determination of serum B2-m by ELISA technique. Results showed that 80% [12] of samples with positive anti n-DNA [15] had increased level of B2-m [above 3 mg/1]. However, only 66.6% [10 samples] showed renal function impairement. Significant positive correlation was detected between serum B2-m and serum creatinine in samples with positive anti n-DNA [active SLE]. It was concluded that the use of serum B2-m level as a marker for lupus nephritis in association with serum creatinine and anti n-DNA titre can be beneficial