Correlation between serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 in SLE patients with neuropsychiatric manifestations and brain magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities

Neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythromatosus [SLE] are common and its pathogenesis is still unclear but recent neuroimaging studies in SLE attributed it to vasculitic processes which results in cerebral ischemia. Matrix metelloproteinase-9 [MMP9] has a central role in ischemic damage of the brain, it disrupts the blood brain barrier [BBB] and it also induces a high breakdown capacity in arteriolar basement membrane leading to cerebral edema and secondary hemorrhage. Also it participates in the degradation of myelin basic protein which is a major component of both central and peripheral nervous system. This study was performed to evaluate the possible association between serum MMP9 and neuropsychiatric manifestation with cerebral MRI abnormalities in patients with SLE. Serum MMP9 levels were determined in forty patients with systemic lupus erythromatosus and twenty apparently healthy controls who underwent clinical examination, neurological examination and neuropsychological testing. Cerebral MRI scans with T[1] and T[2] weighted lesions were performed for all subjects. In addition, immunological assay and routine investigations were performed. SLE patients with neuropsychiatric manifestations [NP-SLE] had significantly higher serum MMP9 concentrations than patients without neuropsychiatric manifestations [NNP-SLE], and those with cognitive deficits had significantly higher concentrations of serum MMP9. Furthermore MMP9 levels were significantly higher in patients with T[1] and T[2] weighted lesions in cerebral MRI in NP-SLE. Elevated levels of serum MMP9 in patients with SLE may reflect neuropsychiatric involvement particularly cognitive dysfunction and MRI results favor the association between serum MMP9 levels and ischemic changes with increased risk of cerebral ischemic events in SLE patients

Acute gastroduodenal mucosal lesions in obstructive jaundice: an overview of clinical and pathogenic problems

Fourteen patients with obstructive jaundice were investigated. The mucous membrane [by fibrogastroduodenoscopy] of the stomach and the duodenum, the fasting gastric juice pH and level of serum gastrin [by radioimmunoassay method] were investigated. The study showed a high incidence [71.4%] of gastroduodenal mucosal changes; 57% had gastritis, 14% had duodenitis, mucosal hemorrhages were in 7%, and peptic ulceration of the stomach in 7%. However, 14% were symptomless. The level of fasting gastric juice pH was between 1-3 in this group. There were no any changes of stomach and duodenum in four patients, they had fasting gastric juice pH more than 3. Serum gastrin level, which is stimulated by gastric secretion, is high in 42.8% of patients and shows positive correlation [r = 0.639, p < 0.001] with the duration of the obstruction. Thus, patients with obstructive jaundice and with normal or increased acidity is the group of risk for acute lesions of mucous membrane of stomach and duodenum. This may be the result of preventing the flow of bile and the pancreatic juice into the intestine which plays a role in the pathogenesis of this defect. Particularly, this provokes the interaction in circuit of gastrointestinal hormones. These patients need early prophylaxis and treatment of these lesions

study on the prenatal development of the human sublingual salivary gland

In this study 30 human embryos from 8 weeks to full term were used. The prenatal development of the human sublingual gland was histologically and histochemically studied through sections stained with Haematoxylin and eosin, PAS and Alcian blue reactions. The gland started its development at the 8th week as a branched column of cells. This denoted the earliest indication of duct system formation. The primordia of the duct system were canalised at the 12th week and became differentiated into intralobular, interlobular and intercalated ducts by 20 weeks. At full term, the lining epithelium of the duct segments was simple columnar in the intralobular, pseudostratified columnar in the interlobular and flat in the intracalated ducts. The secretory unit developed later than the duct system, since the primordia of the acini appeared at 12 weeks. They showed cavitations at 18 weeks and became differentiated into mucous and serous acini by 20 weeks. The mucous acini were more numerous than serous ones, and some of them were capped with serous demilunes. A strong PAS reaction in the primordial cells appeared from the 8th week to full term. The duet cells showed progressive decrease in PAS reaction, while moderate PAS materials within the duct lumen were seen. AB reaction, however, was observed in the mucous acini for the first time at 12 weeks and increased at full term. The serous acini were negative at early stage, while at full term they showed faint reaction. The duct cells were unreactive to AB, though, their lumina showed rective materials from 12 weeks to full term

Glycoproteins in chronic liver disease

The levels of serum haptoglobin, haemopexin, alpha 1-antitrypsin [alpha 1-AT] and orosomucoid [alpha 1-acid glycoprotein] were examined in the sera of 95 patients with microscopically confirmed chronic liver disease of different types. Haptoglobin concentration was significantly reduced in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis [BHF], in chronic active hepatitis [CAH], in post necrotic cirrhosis and in cardiac cirrhosis, while it increased significantly in biliary cirrhosis. Haemopexin concentration was reduced significantly increase in biliary cirrhosis. Haemopexin concentration was reduced significant increase in biliary cirrhosis. Whereas, the mean value in other groups showed no differences. The serum level of alpha 1-AT showed a highly significant reduction in cardiac cirrhosis patients. Serum orosomucoid level showed significant reduction in both the BHF and post necrotic cirrhosis groups, whereas, biliary cirrhosis patients showed increasing tendency without significant difference. It is concluded that determination of different forms of glycoproteins in chronic liver disease may be a useful adjuvet in assessment of hepatic cell function and severity of the chronic liver disease

Leukocyte migration inhibition in agarose and parietal cell antibody in chronic gastritis

Forty-one patients with chronic gastritis without pernicious anaemia and 12 healthy persons with normal gastric mucosa were examined. Cell-mediated immunity [CMI] against gastric fundal and antral mucosal antigens was studied using the leucocyte migration inhibition agarose test [LMAT], and serum parietal cell antibodies [PCA] were examined by the indirect immunofluorescence method. The LMAT was positive in eight [19.5%] out of 41 patients with gastritis and in none of the healthy subjects. In all these cases migration inhibition appeared with antigen that corresponded to gastric lesion. PCA were present in 11 [26.8%] out of 41 patients with gastritis and in 2 [16.7%] out of 12 healthy persons. No significant relationship was found between the PCA and the result of LMAT. Thus, it is concluded that, there is an evidence that immunological factors may participate in the causation of non-specific chronic gastritis

effect of chlorpromazine on the limb skeleton morphogenesis

Eight adult white rats were divided into 2 groups, 4 in each. After being pregnant, the rats of the first group were treated with chlorpromazine in a daily I.M. dose of 1.2 mg/100 mg for 10 days. The rats of the second group were used as control. The pregnant rats were sacrificed at the fifth, seventh, twelvth, fifteenth days and full term of gestation. The limbs were excised and longitudinal sections were cut for histopathological examination, and histochemical study to evaluate the alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity in the developing limb buds. The results showed retardation of bone development and diminished alkaline phosphatase activity in the treated rats compared to controls. In conclusion, this could be attributed to direct inhibitory effect of the drug on the matrix vesicles preventing the formation of stabilizing cross-links during aggregation with failure of differentiation

Susceptibility status of mosquitoes in Egypt in commonly used insecticides

The present study investigated the susceptibility levels of mosquito population [Anopheles and Culex] to different insecticides in Ismailiya Governorate. The results of these tests carried out on An. coustani population [larvae and adults] indicated that no severe selection occured among the population at Abu Adrub area. The population was still susceptible to malathion, fenitrothion, temefos, chlorpyrifos and propoxur, but resistant to DDT and dieldrin insecticides. Larvae and adults of Culex antennatus in Abu Adrub, as well as, Culex sp. larvae at Kantara - West showed physiological resistance to all insecticides tested except temefos and propoxur

Effect of vincristrine sulphate on the nasal mucosa

The present work was undertaken to study the effect of vincristine sulphate on the respiratory and olfactory mucosa of the nose. Eight adult rabbits were used in this work. They were divided into two equal groups and were designated group 1 and II. The animals of group I were given a daily ingection of vincristine [0.25 mg/Kg] for five days. The animals of group II were similarly injected with the dissolving medium for vincristine and were used as controls. The animals of groups I and II were sacrificed seved days after the last injection. Decalcification of the heads was done by 5% trichloroacetic acid. The regions of the nose were excised and sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, PAS and Glees's silver. Administration of vincristine was followed by atropy and degeneration of olfactory epithelium, thickening of basement membrane, degeneration of mucoserous glands, thickening of blood vessels and degeneration of nerve budiles and plexuses. Possible reasons for this were put forward