Efficacy of pentoxifylline as an antifibrotic drug in experimental murine schistosomal hepatic fibrosis

This study evaluated the possible antifibrotic effect of pentoxifylline on experimentally induced schistosomal hepatic fibrosis and its effect on serum leptin and transforming growth fac-tor-pl levels as possible antifibrotic mechanisms in correlation with the hepatic fibrosis indices.A total of ninety clean laboratories bred, males Swiss, albino mice were included, of which ten mice served as a control non-infected, non-treated group and sacrificed at one time. Eighty mice, each was subcutaneously infected with 50 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and classified into groups: GI [infected and non-treated], Gil [infected and treated with Mirazid], GUI [infected and treated with Pentoxifylline] and GIV [infected and treated with a combination of Mirazid and Pentoxifylline]. Each group was further subdivided into 2 subgroups; subgroup a' which started treatment at 6[th] week post-infection [P.I.] and sacrificed at the end of 9[th] week P.I and subgroup [b] which started treatment at 14[th] week P.I and sacrificed at the end of 17[th] week P.I. The efficacy of the treatment was assessed by histopathological examination of the liver with measurement of granuloma sizes, estimation of hydroxyproline content in the liver, and assessment of serum levels of leptin and transforming growth factor- 61 [TGF- 61]Mirazid [MZD] caused significant reductions in granuloma sizes and hepatic hydroxyproline content and caused non-significant reductions in serum levels of leptin and transforming growth factor- 61 at 9[th] and 17[th] weeks P.I [Gil]. Pentoxifylline [PTX] caused significant reductions in granuloma sizes, hepatic hydroxyproline, and serum levels of leptin and transforming growth factor- 61 at the 9[th]and 17[th] weeks P.I [GUI]. While combined therapy of both MZD and PTX in GIV caused more reductions in granuloma sizes, hepatic hydroxyproline, and serum levels of leptin and TGF- 61 at the 9th and 17th weeks P.I when compared to the other groups

Prevalence of cervical cellular abnormalities by liquid based cytology in Taif province: a hospital based study

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the cervical cellular Abnormalities using liquid based thin-layer preparations as screening test for women who attended the gynaecology outpatient clinic at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia. In this retrospective chart review study, we reviewed the records and data of all women for whom liquid base cytological studies were performed as screening test to detect the cervical cellular abnormalities at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia from June 2010 to June 2012. The total number of women for whom liquid base, thin-layer cytological studies were performedwas 2168 patients 79.9% of them were symptomatic. The mean age was 38.6 years. Liquid based thin-layer preparations were used for all patients. Cervical abnormality was seen in 25.6% of the patients, of which 6.5% were malignant or premalignant and 19.1% were of benign nature. Liquid-based, thin-layer cytology reduces sampling and preparation errors of the conventional smear; however, screening should include human papilloma virus [HPV], DNA testing to increase the sensitivity and specificity of primary screening