Assessment of fatigue in chronic hepatitis C Egyptian patients: relation to TNF-alpha, Leptin, IL-i and IL-6

Fatigue is a common symptom in chronic hepatitis C [CHC]; but it is not well understood and remains poorly investigated. One of the major obstacles to research is the highly non specific nature of fatigue. In 1994; the fatigue impact scale [FIS] was developed to improve our understanding of the effect of fatigue on quality of life. Recent attention has focused on the role of leptin and energy expenditure in chronic hepatitis C [CHC]. The importance of leptin in the regulation of energy balance, body composition and food intake has been demonstrated in both animal and human studies. 4herations in immune activation and cytokine release have been implicated in the occurrence of fatigue in CHC patients. The purpose of this study is to analyze fatigue in chronic hepatitis C Egyptian patients and to determine its relationship with the degree of underlying hepatitis, resting energy expenditure [PEE], circulating leptin and tumor necrosis factor-a [TNF-alpha], IL-1, and IL-6. Ninety patients were included in the study [61 males, 29 females], who were referred to the department of Tropical Medicine Al Hussein and Bab-Al-Sharyia University Hospitals during the period from March 2004 to March 2006. They were divided into two groups. Group I: 65 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Group II: 25 healthy persons, tested negative for hepatitis C [Control group]. All were submitted to history and clinical examination, liver function tests, HCV [Ab and PCR], the modified fatigue impact scale, resting energy expenditure, tumour necrosis factor [TNF-alpha], serum leptin. IL-alpha, and IL-6. FIS and REE, serum leptin, TNF-, IL-alpha and IL-6 were significantly elevated among HCV patients in comparison to controls. Fatigue didn't correlate with the degree of underlying hepatitis. Fatigue impact scale is a beneficial tool for subjective valuation of fatigue. Fatigue is present in CHC patients but it is not related to the degree of hepatitis. TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6 may contribute partially to the occurrence of fatigue in these patients

Microalbuminuria: an early marker of renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus

The present study comprised 50 systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] patients with no clinical evidence of renal disease. Twenty healthy subjects matched for age and sex served as a control group. All patients and controls were subjected to a complete history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory tests. The study concluded that in the absence of clinical evidence of renal disease in SLE patients, microalbuminuria can indicate subclinical nephropathy and measurements may have a role in the early diagnosis and subsequent monitoring of renal disease in SLE patients

Influence of female sex hormones on liver function in normotensive and doca-salt hypertensive female rats

Effects of estrogen, progesterone, and combined estrongen-progesterone on hepatic functions were studied. Serum glutamyl pyruvate transferase [SGPT], glutamyl oxaloacetic transferase [SGOT], and alkaline phosphatase were significantly elevated in normotensive as well as hypertensive groups as a result of estrogen and progesterone treatment. While serum albumin revealed non-significant changes in all groups. Histological studies revealed slight dilatation in central vein and blood sinusoids due to estrogen and progesterone treatment in normotensive groups. Whereas marked dilated central vein and blood sinusoids and disappearance of some nuclei of hepatic cells were observed in hypertensive group treated with combined estrogen-progesterone. It is concluded that some of the observed side effects frequently observed in contraceptive pill users could be explained on the light of the obtained results