Epidermal growth factor receptor [egfr] immunohistochemical expression in gastric carcinoma

Background: Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Gastric cancer is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide

Objective: To estimate the immunohistochemical expression of epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] in the gastric cancer in relation to other parameters like grade and stage

Methods: Formaline fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from 51 patients [29 male and 22 female] with gastric carcinoma were included in this study. Ten biopsies of normal gastric tissue were selected as a control group. Envision [DAKO] technique was applied to study the immunohistochem- ical expression of EGFR in paraffin embedded sections of gastric cancer

Results: Positive immunohistochemical expression of EGFR was seen in 41.2% of cases as both membranous and cytoplasmic brown staining while there was negative staining in the normal control group [p<0.05]. EGFR immunoexpression was correlated with the histological type [more in the intestinal variant than the diffuse type] [p<0.0.5]

Conclusion: These findings provides further evidence for the role of EGFR in the tumorgenensis of gastric cancer. However, EGFR could not be well correlated with stage of tumor and hence may be poor prognostic parameters of the state of malignancy

Vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] receptor expression correlates with histologic grade and stage of colorectal cancer

Colorectal carcinoma [CRC] is the seventh-most common malignancy and is the main cause of death in Iraq. The incidence of this cancer has increased sharply after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. To estimate immunohistochemical expression of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] in CRC in relation to other parameters, such as grade and stage of tumour. Formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from 52 patients [27 male and 25 female] with CRC were included in this study. A group of 22 patients with non-cancerous colonic tissues were included as a control group. Avidin-biotin complex method was employed for immunohistochemical detection of VEGF. VEGF immuno-expression was positive in 51.9% of CRC, while it was 18.2% in the normal colonic tissue [p<0.05]. VEGF immunostaining was positively correlated with grade of colonic malignancy [p<0.05]. These findings provide further evidence for the role of VEGF in the carcinogenesis of CRC. However, VEGF could not be well correlated with stage of tumour and hence may be a poor prognostic parameter of state of malignancy of colonic carcinoma

Clinical and epidemiological features of severe malaria in children in four hospitals in Sudan

We assessed the clinical and epidemiological features of severe malaria cases before admission, management in hospital and outcome and associated factors in 4 hospitals in different areas of Sudan over a 5- month period in 2000. There were 543 children admitted representing 21% of all paediatric admissions. Median age was 36 months. Treatment at home was the first action taken by 57.5% of families. Case fatality rate was 5/1000 and 93% of the children who died were under 9 years. Highest risk of death was associated with delay in seeking treatment and severity of illness before admission. Omdurman Hospital in Khartoum had the best case- management performance index compared to the other hospitals

Histological and functional improvement of renal and pulmonary tissues of female albino rats with certain antioxidants after treatment with fenthion insecticide

Improvements of the function of renal and lung tissues of female albino rats with ascorbic acid and beta -carotene [as antioxidants] after treating the rats with fenthion has been studied. The obtained results revealed that fenthion caused cellular infiltration mostly lymphocytes, massive intertubular haemorrhagic dilated vascular spaces, and cellular degeneration in some tubules in the renal cortex. Moreover, there was a decrease in the diameter of the periglomerular space. Combination of the insecticide with ascorbic acid caused decrease in cellular degeneration, haemorrhagic areas and vascular dilatation. The periglomerular space diameter increased but did not regain the normal control measurement. However, combination of the insecticide with beta -carotene caused improvement in cellular effects without effect on vascular changes. Treatment with ascorbic acid and beta -carotene alone regained the normal histological picture of the kidney with an increase in diameter of periglomerular space, but did not regain the untreated value. Staining with Maisson trichrome showed decrease in stain density, and periglomerular space measurement, cellular degeneration and wider lumen of D.C.T. after fenthion treatment. Adminsitration of ascorbic acid or beta -carotene to the insecticide-treated rats caused improvement in stain density and increased value in case of ascorbic acid. Moreover, slight decrease in D.C.T. luminal diameter with no change in periglomerular space was fond in case of beta -carotene. The results after P.A.S. stain were similar to those obtained by Maisson trichrome stain. Fenthion caused a significant increase in blood uric acid and creatinine levels. Addition of ascorbic acid or beta -carotene to the tested insecticide cause an obvious decrease in the levels of these compounds, but remained higher than normal. Histological sections of the lung stained by H and Eosin and orcein showed dense peribronchial lymphocytic infiltration, vascular dilatation consolidation and some haemorrhage, in addition to significant decrease in elastic fiber area caused by the insecticide. Addition of ascorbic acid or beta -carotene to the insecticide caused decrease in peribronchial lymphocytic, vascular dilatation and haemorrhage with some increase in elastic fiber area. However, in case of beta -carotene, peribronchial lymphocytic infiltration and vascular dilatation were not found. I owe special debt to Professor Dr. Sherif M. Hashim professor of Histology, Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, for his valuable advice, efforts and unlimited help during the preparation of this work. Also, my sincere thanks to members of Al-Azhar and Cairo Universities, Departments of Histology

Improving the dissolution rate of water-insoluble drugs by surface adsorption

Solvent deposition triturations of flufenamic acid and chlorpropamide on aerosil 200 were prepared using acetone as equilibrating solvent. The surface adsorption of the two drugs on the selected carrier markedly increased the drug dissolution. After 10 minutes complete dissolution of flufenamic acid was achieved at equal concentrations of the drug and aerosil, while only 56% of chlorpropamide was released from the trituration containing 1:2 drug aerosil ratio. On the other hand 18 and 11% of the pure flufenamic acid and chlorpropamide respectively was released after 10 minutes. The solvent deposition triturations of both drugs were wet granulated and compressed separately into tablets. Evaluation of the prepared tablets showed that aerosol greatly affected the mechanical properties, disintegration time and dissolution rate. Tablets containing aerosil exhibited rapid disintegration time and high dissolution rates