Effect of erythropoietin, interleukins 3 and 6, and macrophage colony stimulating factor on hemoglobin synthesis in sickle cell anemia

Sickle cell anemia is characterized by significant morbidity and early mortality. The determination of physiologic factors that interact to regulate fetal hemoglobin synthesis is important for the design of strategies to alter globin chain production. This study was conducted to assess serum erythropoietin level, interleukins IL-3, IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor [GM-CSF] in children with sickle cell anemia [SCA] during steady state and their relation to fetal hemoglobin in them. The study was also aimed to assess the hypothesis that different set of regulatory might be required to maintain the level of increased hematopoiesis in HFSS and LFSS patients. Thirty children with homozygous SCA in the steady state were involved in the study. Their age ranged from 2-10 years [mean 5.35 +/- 2.55 yr.]. They were divided according to their level of HbF into two groups: 15 patients with HbF >9gm/dl [HFSS] and 15 pateints with HbF <9 gm/dl [LFSS]. Fifteen apparently healthy age and sex matched children served as a control group. All children were subjected to a complete blood count, measurement of fetal hemoglobin and serum level of erythropoietin, IL-3, IL-6, GM-CSF.The results proved that SCA patients had significantly increased levels of EPO, IL-3, IL-6 and GM-CSF than controls. HFSS group had significantly higher levels of IL-3 [69.3 +/- 16.1 pg/ml vs 10.4 +/- 11.3pg/ml] and LFSS group had significantly higher levels of GM-CSF [28.1 +/- 21.3 pg/ml vs 4.73 +/- 6.58 pg/ml] and significantly higher erythropoietin levels [91 +/- 40.8 iu/I vs 24.9 +/- 6.08iu/I]. There was no statistical difference in the level of IL-6 between the two groups

Conclusion: SCA children exhibit differences in the capacity of their mononuclear and endothelial cells to produce cytokines and hematopoietic growth factors according to their peripheral HbF level and GMCSF and iL-3 are differentially involved in the control of SCA depending on the level of hematopoietic stress. We conclude also that elevated levels of cytokines is a characteristic of SCA even in the steady state and it is indicative of ongoing micro-vascular adhesion and severity of the degree of anemia

surgical experience with ovthotopic liver transplation in the rat

A surgical experience with 45 Orthotopic Liver Transplantation [OLT] in synergenic rats has been reviewed with technical details. Perioperative mortality was 11%. The mean time for donor operation was 29min [range; 24-35], Bench surgery 12 min [range; 10-18], Anhepatic phase 18 min [range; 15-25] and recipient operation 47min [range; 35-64 min]. OLT in the rat are relatively inexpensive and generally accepted as an excellent model for the analysis of pathological, physiological and immunological aspects related to organ transplantation. OLT in the rat is an excellent model for microvascular training and the Cuff technique [sutureless anastomosis] has simplified the vascular anastomosis and it may open the door for clinical application

Use of polymerase chain reaction [PCR] technique for the detection of foot and mouth disease virus type O1/Egypt

The ribonucleic acid [RNA] of foot and mouth disease virus type O1/Egypt was extracted and purified chemically. One pair of primer was designed to identify the FMD virus using polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. The amplified segment of viral protein 1 [VP1] gene has a molecular size between 208 and 349 b. p. as estimated by DNA molecular markers which is the suspected size