Association of hepatitis B infection with schistosomiasis in children

Schistosomal hepatosplenomegaly is a major problem among adults and children. HB infection which occurs on top of schistosomiasis is an important factor in determining the prognosis and outcome of the disease. Three groups of children were studied to determine the incidence of HB antigenaemia among them :a] 20 children with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis with no clinical evidence of hepatocellular failure. The histology proved to be schistosomal periportal fibrosis. 40% were HBs positive. b] 40 children with simple urinary or intestinal schistosomiasis. 10% were HBs positive.c] 24 normal controls of matched age. 4.1% had HBs antigenaemia. There is significant statistical difference between hepatosplenic schistosomiasis and normal controls. It is believed that HB infection on top of schistosomiasis determines progression to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatocellular failure and portal hypertension, which are common among adult. It is suggested that schistosomal children should be among the high risk groups and should have the priority for HB vaccination early before exposure to HB infection

Aminoaciduria: a possible marker of renal tubular damage in children with collagen vascular disease [CVD]

Forty seven children with CVD and fifty age and sex matched controls was studied. Careful clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations were carried out to both cases and controls. C reactive protein [CRP] and rheumatoid factor [by latex] were unsuitable for diagnosing [CVD]. Antinuclear antibodies [ANA] were highly positive among SLE group versus the other groups and controls. However ANA-ve SEL, cases were also found. Anti-ds DNA antibodies were highly specific for SEL. 68.1% of CVD patients had renal involvement whether in the form of an abnormal urinary sediment or elevated serum urea and creatinine. Most had an abnormal urinary amino-gram. In some cases an elevated urinary amino-aciduria was the only evidence of renal affection. Proteinuria correlated positively with amino-aciduria

Rotavirus detection in acute diarrhoea by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, latex particles and electron microscopy

A twelve month prospective study on infants with acute diarrhoea was conducted at Abou El-Reich Children's Hospital and Inst. Pasteur. Lyon. Two hundred and eighty fecal specimens were collected. Human rotavirus [HRV] was searched for using a commercial enzymelinked immunosorbent assay [E.L.I.S.A.] with a labelled monoclonal antibody. The specificity and sensitivity of this kit was compared with direct electron microscopy [E.M.] and a commercial latex agglutination kit sensitized with a group specific monoclonal antibody. The diagnostic accuracy of the [E.L.I.S.A.] kit was over 98.3%

Alpha feto-proteins in lymphomas and leukemias

Serum AFP was determined by the quantitative enzyme immunoassay method in a heterogenous group of lymphoma and leukemia. Irrespective of age, type of therapy and whether or not hepatic involvement was present all the cases had their figures well within the normal limits. The findings indicate that. 1. The lymphoreticulo endothelial and myeloid systems have no potentialities for AFP production. 2. AFP has no place in detection of hepatic involvement in malignancies of these systems and other methods must be sought for this purpose. 3. The specificity of liver injury conductive to AFP is stressed and elevation of AFP in cases carrying a hepatic cancer potential should tip the balance to the exclusion of lymphoproliferature malignancy and leukemia