Detection of human retrovirus-5 in rheumatoid arthritis patients

This study was carried out to detect the possible association of human retroviruse-5 [HRV-5] with RA and its correlation with disease activity and severity in a trial to detect its possible role as an etiologic factor. We conducted our study on 31 RA patients and 15 apparently healthy subjects serving as a control group. All patients were subjected to complete history taking, thorough clinical examination, radiological and laboratory tests. Nested PCR was done to detect the presence or absence of HRV-5 in the blood of all patients and controls as well as nine synovial fluid samples from RA patients. There was a significant presence of HRV-5 in the blood of RA patients and in four synovial fluid samples out of nine. The four patients whose synovial fluid samples were HRV-5 positive also showed HRV-5 positive blood. There was a statistically significant higher alkaline phosphatase mean in cases with HRV-5 positive blood, which may reveal Liver damage that might be caused by the virus itself. There was no statistically significant difference in the activity or severity grades in HRV-5 positive blood and synovial fluid compared to HRV-5 negative cases. The presence of HRV-5 in a significant percent in our RA patients [25.8%] should be taken into consideration since it may have a role as an etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of this disease

Serum thrombomodulin as a marker in assessment of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is the prototype of autoimmune disease. Since organ involvement in SLE is due to a vascular inflammatory process, many researchers try to find a marker of endothelial cell damage, which may indicate active vasculitis in SLE. Serum thrombomodulin [TM] is considered a marker of endothelial cell dysfunction. It is one of the soluble forms of tissue TM. A common mechanism for the increase of soluble TM may be an accelerated release of TM from injured endothelial cells. Measurement of the level of serum TM in systemic lupus erythematosus patients and to correlate it with the different clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters. This work was performed on 30 Egyptian SLE female patients and 10 .controls. Those patients were subjected to thorough clinical examination, laboratory tests including complete blood picture, ESR serum creatinine level, SCOT, SGPT, blood glucose level, serum C3, C4 level, ANA, anti-DNA, in addition to complete; urine analysis and estimation of the level of TM with ELISA. The level of serum TM differentiated lupus patients from controls. In addition it correlated strongly with disease activity score [as assessed with SLEDAI], with activity parameters and parameters of renal damage as serum creatinine level and proteinuria.[s]TM was higher among patients with pleurisy, pericarditis and thromboembolic manifestations and vasculitis, and this implies its valuable role in the immune pathogenesis of vasculitis in SLE. Results recommend measurement of serum TM in the assessment of SLE patients regarding activity and endothelial cell injury

Enhanced fracture healing with pulsed electromagnetic field

Our study was designed to examine the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field [PEMF], capacitative technique, on the healing of fractures at different stages. Forty-four patients were included in the study. They were divided into three groups. The first group comprised twenty-three patients who were subjected to PEMF after application of plaster cast [early treatment group]. The second included six patients who received PEMF after removal of the cast at 8 weeks [late treatment group]. The third group comprised fifteen patients who were only treated with fixation in plaster cast and served as a control group. The three groups were investigated using cross-sectional osteocalcin level at the start and at 8 and 12 weeks. Plain x-rays were done every 2 weeks and bone mineral density [BMD] was assessed with the quantitative CT of periosteal callus and expressed as F [fracture] / N [normal]% at 8 and 12 weeks. Laboratory and radiological data were statistically analyzed. We concluded that PEMF accelerates bone healing as there was a statistically significant difference in osteocalcin level between early treated patients and controls at 8 weeks and a highly significant difference at 12 weeks for patients who continued treatment. Late treatment patients were found to have increased osteocalcin level too. Radiological results confirmed the laboratory results for the positive effect of PEMF on bone healing. We recommend the use of PEMF for enhancement of fracture healing in cases of delayed union and in old age