ABSTRACT
A total of 60 subjects were included in this study [48 hepatic patients and 12 healthy controls of matched age and sex]. All individuals were classified into the following groups each comprises 12 individuals: Group I: Hepatic cirrhosis, Group II: Chronic viral hepatitis C, Group III: Hepatic malignancy, Group IV: Bilharzial hepatic fibrosis, Group V: Healthy control. Whole blood and plasma samples from all patients and control groups were taken and assayed for: 1-Nitric oxide metabolites [nitrite and nitrate]. 2-Malondialdehyde [MDA], lipid perioxidation product. 3-iNOS expression [mRNA] using RT-PCR
Results: The serum levels of both NO metabolites and MDA showed significant increase in all patients groups compared with the control group. iNOS expression was increased in all patients groups compared with control group. The products of RT-PCR amplification of iNOS revealed appearance of the desired band of RT-PCR products of iNOS at 259 bp showing apparent different densities of each band which means different intensities of expression between patients groups. Gel image was digitalized using soney digital camera model [digital mavica] and was quantified using Scion image software on Intel Pentium 4
Conclusion: 1- Nitric oxide is increased in all patients groups so, it may plays multiple roles in different liver diseases either, beneficial and protective against fibrosis, portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis, viraemia in hepatitis c infection, and tumerogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma or the opposite via production of reactive nitrogen species. Further studies using NO donners and iNOS inhibitors should be done to detect NO roles in each group separately hoping to reach to NO therapeutics in different liver diseases. 2Malondialdehyde [lipid peroxidation products] increased significantly in different types of liver diseases so; it may have a role in the pathogenesis of them and its progression to cancer
ABSTRACT
The management of a patient with congenital aural atresia [CAA] is difficult because of the complexity of the therapeutic problem and that of parental anxiety. It requires essential background informations, relevant embryology, an intimate knowledge of anatomic variations, and patient evaluation including accurate radiologic evaluation. Therefore, this study was conducted to describe the high resolution computed tomography [CT] findings in CAA which deemed critical by surgeons. Ten patients [8 patients with unilateral atresia and 2 patients with bilateral atresia] were examined by high resolution CT scan. In unilateral atresia, the right side was more commonly involved. Males were affected more frequently. Middle ear deformities were also encountered. The tympanic cavity was small with ossicular chain anomalies. A soft tissue opacity in the tympanic cavity made it difficult to evaluate the stapes, the incudo-stapedial articulation and the facial nerve. Congenital cholesteatoma was detected in 2 ears. Deformity and abnormal position of the temporomandibular joint were also encountered in one patient with bilateral CAA. The inner ear appeared normal in all cases. In conclusion, high resolution CT scan is the method of choice for evaluation of CAA. It furnishes the best anatomic details relevant to the surgical approach guiding the planning of surgical correction and avoiding unfortunate intraoperative events
ABSTRACT
Rectal mucosal biopsies from 27 subjects with untreated coeliac sprue and 34 subjects with irritable bowel syndrome were studied. The comparison included intraepithelial lymphocytes [IEL], immunoglobin. [Ig] containing cells, mucosal mast cells and eosinophils. subjects with coeliac sprue showed significantly increased number of intraepithelial lymphocytes, while other cell counts were only slightly increased, It is concluded that proctitis in untreated coeliacs is minimal, the increased intraepithelial lymphocyte counts may provide a diagnostic implication if the rectal biopsies looked otherwise normal