Prevalence of hepatitic C virus antibodies in chronic liver disease, hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma and rheumatoid arthritis

The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus [Anti-HCV] has been measured using HCV EIA 2 second generation test in 97 patients with chronic liver disease [CLD], hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]. 45 normal subjects served as control. 46.15% of 39 patients with CLD were positive for anti-HCV, while 64.7% of 17 patients with hepatitis showed positive antibodies to HCV. In HCC, 60% of 15 patients were positive to anti-HCV. Interestingly, 36.4% of 26 patients with RA having positive rheumatoid factor showed positive antibodies to HCV and 11.1% of normal controls were positive to anti-HCV. HBsAg was positive in 20.5% in CLD and in 47% in hepatitis group, while 40% of HCC patients showed positive HBsAg. Low prevalence of HBsAg was found in RA and controls [3.8% and 4.4% respectively]. Our study revealed that HCV has a role in causation of hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease in our locality. Also, cross-reactivity between antibodies to HCV and other antibodies [rheumatoid factors] may occur

Prophylactic antibiotic in Caesarean section

This study was conducted to compare the effect of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics versus routine post-operative antibiotics an the post-operative febrile morbidity in cases undergoing caesarean section [C.S], Ninety cases given prophylactic antibiotics [45 cases given Ampicilln and 45 cases given lincomycin] and 100 cases were studied retrospectively who had received post-operative antibiotics. Wound infection encountered in 6.7% in those received prophylactic antibiotics and in 10% of the retrospective control. Staph. aureus, proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aerugenosa and Klebsiella sp. are the organisms isolated from the infected wounds in those received prophylactic antibiotics. Febrile morbidity occurred in 14.4% in those antibiotic and in 25% of the post-operative antibiotic group. Significant bacteriuria detected in 45.6% of the studied cases before treatment. In the present study 64.4% of the studied cases showed positive intraoperative isolates from tower segment of uterus before treatment. Staph-epidermidis represent 44% of the isolated organisms, staph. aureus represent 10.7% of the isolated organism, while Strept. faecalis, diphteroides and Klebsiella sp. represent 9.3% of the isolated organisms. The hospital cost of non-morbid cases in the prophylactic antibiotic group was markedly less than in those who received post-operaive treatment

Hepatitis B virus replication and tuberculin reactivity

Both mycobacterium tuberculosis and hepatitis B virus [HBV] infections are common in Egypt. Among 43 HBsAg healthy carriers and 26 HBsAg [+ve] cirrhotic patients, there was an inverted relationship between HBeAg status and purified protein derivative [PPD] reactivity, but it was statistically significant in the group of carriers [P < 0.01]. When the state of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin [BCG] vaccination was considered, the percentage of PPD reactivity in vaccinated HBeAg [+ve] carriers was significantly lower than that in the vaccinated controls and HBeAg [-ve] ones 20% versus 69.7% and 66.7%]. HBeAg [+ve] cirrhotic patients did not react to PPD whether vaccinated or not. Regarding the HBeAg [-ve] cirrhotic ones, PPD reactivity was only demonstrated in the vaccinated group with a 50% confidence and failed to do so with the non-vaccinated ones. The inverse association of HBeAg and PPD reactivity may suggest that the host response to tubercle bacilli may inhibit the replication of HBV. Those who were vaccinated and positively reacted to PPD were more likely able to inhibit replication of HBV. A clinical trial with BCG vaccination to HBeAg [+ve] carriers may be necessary to support this hypothesis