Knowledge about causative agents, transmission and prevention of hepatitis B, C and HIV among blood donors

Background: hepatitis B, C and [Human Immunodeficiency Virus] HIV viral infections are serious global public health Problems

Objectives: to assess the knowledge about causative agents, transmission and prevention of hepatitis B, C and HIV among blood donors

Patients and Method: this descriptive study was conducted at the blood bank of Lady Wellington Hospital, Lahore in the month of December 2008. 500 subjects were included in this study, after taking informed consent. A structured questionnaire was used for interviewing the blood donors

Result: the mean age of the participants was 32.4 +/- 4.2 years. Among 500 volunteer blood donors, 96.6% were males and 3.4% females. More people have heard about HIV [82 %] than HCV [74 %] and HBV [64 %]. About half of the study participants knew that hepatitis B and C mainly affect the liver. 62 % individuals correctly answered about the spread of HIV through unsafe sex. As compared to this, 39 % and 29 % of the individuals knew that hepatitis B and C respectively spread through unsterilized syringes used for injections. Many subjects [about 80 %] did not know that all these diseases are caused by viruses

Conclusion: knowledge about hepatitis B, C and HIV infections was inadequate among study population

Cytogenetic characterization of sarcomas of bone and soft tissues

Specific chromosome rearrangements in different types of solid tumors have been described recently in a number of studies. However, the frequency and diagnostic importance of these chromosome rearrangements are currently under intensive investigation. The objective of this study is to provide a preliminary report on the types of clonal chromosome abnormalities observed in sarcomas of bone and soft tissues. Included in this report are osteosarcoma [five], synovial sarcoma [three], Ewing sarcoma [two], leiomyosarcoma [one], and spindle cell sarcoma [one]. Cytogenetic analysis revealed clonal chromosome rearrangements in all of the tumors studied. Our findings correlated well with previously reported cytogenetic data on various types of solid tumors

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy diagnosis of pediatric neoplasms

A series of fine-needle aspiration biopsies performed in 635 children were reviewed. The diagnosis rendered in these patients included malignant lymphoma in 139 [21.9%], Hodgkin's disease, 25 [3.9%]; neuroblastoma, 58 [9.1%]; Wilms' tumor, 37 [5.8%]; Ewing's sarcoma, 32 [5.0%]; rhabdomyosarcoma; 25 [3.9%]; retinoblastoma, 22 [3.5%]; leukemia infiltrate, 33 [5.2%]; and miscellaneous tumors, 52 [8.2%]. In 171 patients [26.9%], the biopsy was nondiagnostic. The cytomorphological characteristics of these lesions are briefly described and illustrated. Salient morphological features are further correlated with histological and ultrastructural appearances

Spectrum of renal disease in Saudi Arabia

A series of 380 kidney biopsies performed at several institutions in Saudi Arabia was reviewed and categorized as follows: primary glomerular disease, 275; renal involvement in systemic disease, 77; and miscellaneous, 28. The 275 biopsy specimens from patients with primary glomerular disease were further classified and revealed minimal-changes disease in 16 [5.8%], mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in 80 [29.09%], focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in 96 [43.9%], mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis in 29 [10.5%], membranous glomerulonephritis in 18 [6.5%], IgA nephropathy in 16 [5.8%], rapidly progressive glomerculonephritis in 12 [4.4%], and postinfectious glomerculonephritis in 8 [2.9%]. Complication of our findings with those previously published studies indicated that the frequency of local segmental glomerulosclerosis in our series is higher than that for most series reported for other countries, while the incidence of IgA nephropathy is relatively low. Another significant difference was a complete absence of mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis type II [dense-deposit-disease]. Additional studies are needed to further confirm these findings and identify the factors responsible for the differences

Neutropenia related to captopril

Two patients are described with severe neutropenia which developed during captopril therapy. The first patient received captopril for congestive cardiac failure. She developed neutropenia within 5 weeks of captopril therapy, complicated by infection which proved to be fatal. The second patient was suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], hypertension and renal failure. While on captopril therapy she developed severe neutropenia which reverted to normal after discontinuing the drug

Pathology of brucellosis: a review of 88 biopsies

A series of 88 biopsy specimens representing a large variety of tissues from 78 proved cases of brucellosis were reviewed. The most frequent histologic pattern was that of nonspecific chronic inflammation characterized by lymphocytic infiltration with variable numbers of histiocytes and plasma cells. Granulomatous inflammation and acute necrotizing and supportive inflammation were encountered less frequently. In none of the biopsies could any morphologic features specific for Brucella infection be identified

Morphologic and immunopathologic spectrum of malignant lymphoma: review of 211 cases

A series of 211 malignant lymphomas in adults were reviewed and classified according to the international working formulation. Of those classified, five [2.4%] were low-grade, 115 [54.5%] intermediate-grade, and 85 [40.3%] high-grade lymphomas. Immunohistologic typing of 106 lymphomas was performed using a panel of monoclonal antibodies against T-and B-cell surface antigens. This revealed 51 [48.1%] B-cell and 41 [38.7%] T-cell lymphomas with 14 [13.2%] indeterminate. These results were compared with those from several recently published studies from other countries. The proportion of aggressive lymphomas in our series appeared to be relatively high. Furthermore, immunohistologic data in our study indicated a significantly higher proportion of T-cell lymphomas as compared to other studies

Antinematodal efficacy of glycosides isolated from saussurea lappa [qust or kooth] in sheep and buffalocalves

Anthelmintic efficacies of the total glycosides isolated from Saussurea lappa, roots [Family: Compositae] and morantel tartrate were determined in two animal species suffering from naturally acquired mixed nematode infections. The glycosides were administered orally in 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight doses in sheep while morantel tartrate [100 mg/kg b. wt.] was kept as a control. The pre-and post-treatment faecal eggs per gram [EPG] counts were determined by Stoll's technique and their% age EPG reductions were calculated. The data obtained showed that the glycosides reduced the EPG counts significantly at the dosage levels of 200 and 300 mg/kg b. wt. The percentage reduction [mean +/- SEM] in EPG counts at 300 mg/kg dosage on the 3rd, 10th and 15th days after drug administration were 57 +/- 25, 78 +/- 21 and 93 +/- 11. The glycosides were also administered at 150, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.wt. in the buffalo-calves suffering from mixed gastrointestinal nematodes infection. In the group treated with 300 mg/kg b.wt. of the glycosides of S. lappa, a highly significant [p < 0.001] reduction in the EPG counts was observed on the 3rd, 10th and 15th days after administration of the glycosides. The percentage EPG reductions in the group treated with 300 mg/kg were 69 +/- 19, 82 +/- 11 and 93 +/- 4 on these days. Morantel tartrate produced maximum% age reductions of 92 +/- 8 and 97 +/- 8 on the day 15th in sheep and buffalo-calves, respectively. These data suggest that oral administration of 300 mg/kg body weight of the total glycosides of S. lappa and 100 mg/kg of morantel tartrate are equi-effective in the treatment of mixed gastrointestinal nematodal infection of sheep and buffalo-calves. These results also reveal that the isolated glycosides of S. lappa roots are much less potent than the powdered roots themselves. It is conceivable that some other constituent [s] of this herbal drug acts synergistically and enhances the antinematodal efficacy of its glycosides

Role of cell block in the interpretation of fine-needle aspiration biopsies

This study is based on a retrospective analysis of 210 fine-needle aspiration biopsies in which both cytology smears and paraffin cell blocks were available. The histology slides from these cell blocks were reviewed, and the cases were subdivided into three categories. In category A, which included 118 [56%] cases, a definitive histologic diagnosis of the presence as well as type of the cancer could be made. In category B, including 56 [27%] of cases, only the presence of cancer be ascertained, but the type not be defined. In category C, which consisted of 36 [17%] cases, the tissue was insufficient for reliable diagnosis. Carcinomas were most likely to have cell blocks in category A [65%] as compared to sarcomas [28%] or lymphomas [9%]. Complication of the cytological diagnosis based on aspiration smears with the cell block diagnosis revealed that in 6% of cases only cell block was positive, while in another 8% of cases the diagnosis from the cell block was more precise and specific. These results indicate that cell blocks can enhance the effectiveness offline-needle aspiration biopsy in establishing a pathologic diagnosis of cancer

Human ORF [Ecthyma contagiosum]: a report of two cases from Saudi Arabia

Two cases of orf occurring in one family are reported. Te patients developed characteristic skin lesions one week after sustaining cuts while slaughtering a sheep. The diagnosis of orf was confirmed by electron microscopy which revealed numerous large oval virus particle characteristic of parapox irus. This we believe is first report of orf in Saudi Arabia