Flexor carpi radialis H-Reflex in monitoring cervical root decompression by traction in cervical radiculopathy

Fourteen patients complained of various degrees and combinations of frequent neck, shoulder and arm pain, burning sensation associated with numbness, tingling in the middle finger, weakness in the triceps and/or wrist extensor were included in this study. The diagnosis was confirmed with clinical and imaging procedures. The H-reflex of the flexor carpi radialis [FCR] was recorded using electromyographic unit. Traction resulted in a significant increase in the peak to peak amplitude and a reduction in the latency of the H-reflex. The peak to peak amplitude of the H-reflex was 0.45 +/- 0.35 mv before traction and increased to 0.89 +/- 0.55 mv during traction which was statistically significant. The H-reflex latency was 18.04 +/- 2.36 ms before traction and was reduced to 17.04 +/- 2.02 ms during traction and this reduction was statistically significant

Assessment of serum arginase activity in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis

Arginase enzyme [ARG], one of the urea cycle enzymes found even exclusively in the liver, was estimated by a new technique in the serum of 50 patients with hepatic diseases in order to find a more specific parameter of the liver functions than the currently used ones. Those patients include patients with intestinal schistosomiasis, schistosomal hepatic fibrosis with or without ascites, hepatic coma, and infective viral hepatitis. SARG changes paralleled the serum transaminases changes in the different hepatic diseases, but it is more specific to the liver, while serum transaminases are affected in other organ lesions, e.g. in heart and muscle disease. So, SARG is more valuable for the evaluation of the parenchymal hepatic damage