Cost-Effectiveness of HCV Core Antigen versus PCR for Monitoring Treatment Response in DAAS-Treated Egyptian Patients

PCR is currently the non-debatable proof for diagnosis of HCV infection as well as conclusion of treatment outcomes. HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) testing is a neglected, less expensive and less time consuming test that's presumed to achieve the same aims. The aim of this study is to find the cost-effectiveness of HCV core antigen testing in the monitoring of treatment response as an alternative to the gold-standard PCR test

Study of the relationship between helicobacter pylori infection and irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] can be diagnosed at any age but a new diagnosis of IBS should be made in patients older than 60 years of age because other diseases [colon cancer, diverttculitis, inflammatory bowel may have similar presenting symptoms. Research studies consistently show that women are two to three times more likely than men to be diagnosed with IBS, Over 40 years ago, it was recognized that a percentage of patients with irritable colon developed typical IBS symptoms after an acute infective enteritis [eg, postdysentery IBS]. The aim of the present work to study the relationship between helicobacter pylori and irritable bowel syndrome. The present study was conducted on 30 subjects, They were stratified into 2 groups: group I [IBS groups], they were twenty patients with symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome criteria II, they were 6 males [30%] and 14 females [70%] and their ages were ranging from 18 to 50 years with a mean value of [36.5 +/- 13.2 years] and this group underwent upper endoscopy and colonoscopy and random biopsies were taken from gastric and colonic mucosa for histological examination. Group II [control group] included ten healthy volunteers with no symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel syndrome, they were [5] males and [5] females matched by age They were chosen from referrals to the endoscopy unit of Menoufiya University Hospital. An informed consent was obtained from all included subjects. There was statistically significant difference in the results of histopathological examination of biopsies taken from the colon. There is increase in inflammatory cell infiltration of mucosa of the colon of IBS patient than control groups [lymphocyte infiltration, plasma cell and eosinophit. Helicobacter pylori [HP] did not colonize the colon mucosa. There was no a statistically significant difference in the results of hisiopathological examination of biopsies taken from the gastric antrum of IBS patient and control group [inflammatory cell infiltration]. There was no statistically significant difference of presence of HP in the gastric mucosa of IBS patients and healthy control. No direct correlation between HP infection and IBS but there was intense inflammatory response in the presence of HP