Clinical significance of urinary neopterin in chronic liver disease

Increased neopterin concentration in serum, urine and other biological fluids have been reported in conditions causing stimulation of cellular immunity with increased macrophage activity. Assessment of neopterin production in these conditions conveys useful information on disease activity and prognosis. In our study, urinary neopterin was measured in 40 patients with liver cirrhosis of different etiologies other than hepatitis B infection and 30 controls. The results showed high significant statistical difference between group I [HCV with viremia], group II [HCV without virenlia], group III [HCV+viremia+Bilharziasis] [P<0.001] and significant statistical difference for group IV [Bilhraziasis without HCV] [P<0.05] compared with the control group. The highest mean value of urinary neopterin was in group 1 [299.98 +/- 94.785] which was significantly higher than group II [216.18 +/- 37.55] and group IV [201.29 +/- 52.46] [P<0.05] no statistical difference with group III [226.56 +/- 80.18] [P> 0.05]. In conclusion, urinary neopterin has proved to be a simple and reliable method which helps in the diagnosis of activity in chronic HCV infection in patients with chronic liver disease

Allergic disorders and endometriosis

Eighteen female patients diagnosed by laparoscopy or laparotomy to have endometriosis and fifteen age matched control females free of endometriosis were included in this study. For all subjects, skin tests for immediate hypersensitivity, food elimination and provocation diet testing, and tests for obstructive airway diseases [bronchial asthma] were performed. Immune assay for serum IgE, IgA, IgG, and IgM and for serum C3 and C4 was performed. The endometriosis group showed a significantly higher incidence of allergic manifestations [44.4%] than the control group [6.7%] [P<0.05]. Four patients in the endometriosis group [22.2%] showed elevated IgE while only one subject [6.7%] among the controls had a high IgE level [P>0.05]. IgA was decreased in one patient among the endometriotic group. All subjects in the study and control groups showed normal levels for IgG, IgM, C3 and C4. No correlation was found between endometriosis staging and allergic disorders. Infertility was present in 77.8% of the endometriotic group. All cases showing allergic manifestations or increased IgE levels were among the infertile group