Liver biochemical profiles in hepatomegalic patients with diabetes mellitus

Liver biochemical tests regarding serum aminotrasnsfereases [AST, ALT], alkaline phospahatases[ALP], lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], gamma glutamyltransferase [GGT], cholesterol, total and conjugated bilirubin, total proteins and electrophoretic fractions were measured in 59 diabetic patients with hepatomegaly and a control group of 50 subjects without diabetes or hepatomegaly. Significant increases of SAST, SALT, SALP, SLDH, SGGT, and serum cholesterol were found in diabetics with hepatomegaly as compared to the diabetic with no hepatomegaly and the control group. There was also significant difference between total serum bilirubin concentration in hepatomegalic diabetics and controls, but no significant difference with those diabetic patients with normal liver size. The Level of serum albumin was significantly lower while alpha[1], alpha[2], beta and total globulins were significantly higher in hepatomegalic diabetics than in the control group

Rheumatic fever in Iraqi children

A prospective study of 122 patients with rheumatic fever is reported with special emphasis on the clinical presentation and the relation with streptococcal infection. Arthritis was present in 70 [57.4%] of the cases and the most commonly involved were the big joints, carditis was not uncommon 47 [38.5%] of the cases but congestive heart failure was present in 3 [2.5%] of the cases and pericardial effusion was present in 2 [1.6%] of the cases. In spite of the fact that most of the patients, 112 [92%] had received antibiotics therapy prior to the illness, there was positive evidence of streptococcal infection, both direct [by a positive throat swab in 27 [22.1%] of the cases] and indirect by [elevated A.S.O. titer above 333 units] in 97 [79.4%] of the cases], which signifies inadequate therapy, that warrents a more accurate recognition and prevention