ABSTRACT
Objective and aim :Hepatitis C virus [HCV] can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis. Antiviral therapy is thecornerstone for the treatment of chronic HCV infection once diagnosis is confirmed by PCR. Thegoal of antiviral therapy is to eradicate HCV RNA or attain sustained virological response [SVR]. In many countries worldwide, including Egypt, HCV infection is treated with a combination of pegylated interferon [and ribavirin [RBV]. Liver fibrosis/cirrhosis stage influences theresponse to pegylated interferon [and RBV. Even with new oral the rapies such as Sovaldimany patients have to continue to be on combination regimens of interferon/RBV or RBV alone. In the current study, we aimed to use data mining analysis to determine sonographic picturesthat can successfully predict SVR in HCV-4 patients before the antiviral therapy
Methods: Eighty-two patients were enrolled in this study and they underwent two-dimensional ultrasound examination before the antiviral therapy. The sonographic data obtained were analyzed with Rapidminer version 4.6 to create a decision tree algorithm for the prediction of SVR
Results: The absence of significant liver fibrosis was a predictive parameter of SVR mainly in those patients without a sonographic picture of cirrhosis. The resulting tree yielded an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 85.82 +/- 10.79, 68.75, and 96.00%, respectively, upon 10-foldcross-validation
Conclusion: In the current study we used decision tree algorithm, one of the most important computational methods and tools for data analysis and predictive modeling in applied medicine, to predict SVR in HCV-infected patients. Two-dimensional ultrasound can give predictive information regarding the treatment outcome before interferon therapy for HCV-4
ABSTRACT
Background: end stage renal disease [ESRD] is now considered a prototypical situation of chronic inflammatory state. Inflammation is thought to contribute to initiation and aggravation of atherosclerosis through a process predominantly mediated by adhesion molecules. The expression of soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 [slCAM-1] and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 [sVCAM-1] on the cell surface is upregulated by inflammation. The aims of this study were to measure slCAM-1 and s VCAM-1 in sera of normotensive and hypertensive CRF patients under hemodialysis [HD] and compare them with healthy controls. Also, the effect of dialyzer on these molecules was studied in a single uncomplicated HD session
Methods: we evaluated 40 patients with CRF under treatment with regular HD, they were classified into two groups: Group I: 20 hypertensive patients [12 males and 8 females] aged 30+/-8.2 years, Group II: 20 normotensive patients [11 males and 9 females] aged 34.0+/-16.8 years, ten healthy volunteers constituted group Ill [5 males and 5 females], aged 33.0+/-10.2 years. Blood samples were taken from all patients 4 times, at start and at the end of HD session and from the inlet and exit lines of the dialyzer, 5ml of blood were collected from controls. slCAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were measured by ELISA
Results: we found that there was no significant difference in slCAM-1 and sVCAM-l between group land group Jibe/ore and after the dialyzer [p >0.05]. There was a highly significant difference in sVCAM-l between patients and controls. [p<0.001], while there was no significant difference between patients of group I and group 11 [p>0.05], we found no statistically significant difference in slCAM-1 in all studied groups [p>0.05]
Conclusions: no influence of HD membrane on the levels of s/CAM-1 and sVCAM-1, the elevated sVCAM-1 compared with controls. In patients on maintenance HD. may activate immunocompetent cells. The presence of hypertension doesn't add impact to slCAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels in CRF patients
ABSTRACT
Background: granzymes [Gz] A and B are recently discovered mediators in asthma and other inflammatory airway diseases and showed minimal suppression by corticosteroids
Aim of the study: to see if there is any difference in both granzymes in induced sputum samples between steroid sensitive and steroid resistant asthmatics
Methods: both granzymes were measured by ELISA assay in induced sputum samples from 27 steroid sensitive [SS] and I 8 steroid resistant [SR] asthmatics plus 15 normal controls
Results: Gz A was significantly higher in SR than SS patients and controls [p<0. 05], but was insignificantly different between SS patients and controls [p>0.05]. Gz B was significantly higher in SR patients than SS patients and controls [p<0.05]. No significant difference was seen between males and females of the studied groups [p >0.05 for all].Significant negative correlations were found between both granzymes and FEVJ% predicted in both SS and SR groups [r=-0.85, r=-0.49for Gz A and r= -0.87, r= 0. 7 for Gz B respectively]. A significant positive correlation was found between the two granzymes in both patient groups [r=0.93 and 0.63 for SS and SR patients respectively]
Conclusion: granzymes A and B are released in the airways of asthmatic patients and could have an important role in asthmatic airway inflammation especially in steroid resistant cases and might play a role in this resistance
ABSTRACT
Infantile colic is one of the most common problems in the first few months of life affecting up to 20% of newborns and young infants. It is unclear exactly the aetio-pathogenesis of this condition with unsatisfactory response to different modalities of therapy. We had studied the EEG changes occurring in colicky infants, comparing them with normal healthy non-colicky infants. This study was performed upon 50 infants attending Pediatric department, El-Minia University hospital as a case group according to Wassel's criteria and 25 healthy non colicky infants with normal growth and development who were age and sex matched as a control group. An EEG was done at the onset of presentation and repeated again six months later to all infants. Data were analyzed wit h Pearson Chi-Square and Fisher tests. There was a significant difference between the two groups as regarding EEG changes with significant abnormal EEG changes in colicky infants [p=0.007] before three months of age, but no significant difference between the two groups was present six months later. Significant positive correlations was found between these abnormal EEG changes and shaking baby vigorously during first two weeks of life [p=0.0001, t=9.9]. Most colicky infants were males [56% Vs 44% females],with the first baby was the mostly affected [80% of cases] but no significant statistical difference was present as regarding mode of delivery or maternal age. Infants complaining of infantile colic [according to Wassel's criteria] had abnormal EEG changes as compared to non colicky infants before three months of age. More studies are needed to know if these abnormal changes have a role in aetio-pathogenesis of infantile colic or they occur as consequence of the cause of colic
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Electroencephalography , Shaken Baby SyndromeABSTRACT
A sample of 128 addicts, fulfilling the criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version IV [DSM IV], was selected for this study. Data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire including sociodemographic data, pattern of drug abuse and history of previous treatment. Most of addicts came from urban residence. The mean age of the studied addicts was 25.36 years, 75% were single and 40.88% had a positive family history of addiction. The age of starting addiction ranged from 15 to 20 years among 42.19% of the studied group. The study showed the predominance of nicotine, pharmaceutical drugs and bangoherbal cannabis] as the main drugs of dependence among the studied group compared with heroin, which predominated in the 1980s and the early 1990s. The main source of drugs was friends [64.06%] and 75% of the addicts used drugs secretly outside home. Among the 64.06%, there was no previous history of treatment and the majority of the cases were referred for treatment by their relatives [68.75%]