Allelic variance among ABO blood group genotypes in a population from the western region of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Characterization of the ABO blood group at the phenotype and genotype levels is clinically essential for transfusion, forensics, and population studies. This study elucidated ABO phenotypes and genotypes, and performed an evaluation of their distribution in individuals from the western region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: One-hundred and seven samples underwent standard serological techniques for ABO blood group phenotype analysis. ABO alleles and genotypes were identified using multiplex polymerase chain reaction, and electrophoretic analysis was performed to evaluate the highly polymorphic ABO locus. RESULTS: A phenotype distribution of 37.4%, 30.8%, 24.3%, and 7.5% was found for blood groups O, A, B, and AB respectively in our study cohort. Genotype analysis identified 10 genotype combinations with the O01/O02 and A102/O02 genotypes being the most frequent with frequencies of 33.6% and 14.95%, respectively. Common genotypes such as A101/A101, A101/A102, A101/B101, B101/B101, and O01/O01 were not detected. Similarly, the rare genotypes, cis-AB01/O02, cis-AB01/O01, and cis-AB01/A102 were not found in our cohort. The most frequently observed allele was O02 (35.98%) followed by the A102 allele (17.76%). Furthermore, our findings are discussed in reference to ABO allele and genotype frequencies found in other ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: The study has a significant implication on the management of blood bank and transfusion services in Saudi Arabian patients.

Comparative study between the effects of human CD34 and rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on amelioration of CCl[4] induced liver fibrosis

Human umbilical cord blood [UCB] cells and rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells [BM-MSCs] have many advantages as grafts for cell transplantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of UCB cells and BM-MSCs on reversal of hepatic injury and revival of hepatic function in a rat model of carbon tetrachloride [CCl[4]]-induced liver fibrosis

Serum miRNA-1 as a novel biomarker for acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina

Background: Coronary artery diseases are the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries. Thus, extraordinary efforts have been directed to determine the molecular and pathological characteristics of the diseased heart in order to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies miRNAs are class of abundant, non-coding RNAs that attracted scientists' attention for their promising role as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cardiovascular diseases

Aim of the work: To identify whether miRNA-1 is a dependable biomarker for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction or not

Subjects and Methods: 69 patients with coronary artery disease were included in this study; 36 patients with AMI and 33 patients with unstable angina. Those patients were admitted to coronary care unit, Assuit University Hospital during the period of March to October 2014. In addition 22 apparently healthy subjects were included as a control group. Cardiac troponin I and miRNA-1 was done for all subjects

Results: In patients with AMI the results of miRNA-1 ranged from 28.3 - 6763.9 fold changes above the control level. In those with UA, miRNA-1 result ranged from 1.74 - 144.37 fold changes above the control level [when the control group is one fold]. Comparison between different cups regarding results of miRNA-1 revealed that there was a highly significant difference [P<0.001] between different groups. There was a highly significant increase in patients with AMI when compared with the control group, also a statistically significant increase [P<0.001] in patients with UA when compared with the control group and a statistically significant increase [P<0.001] in patients with AMI when compared with those of UA

Conclusion: miRNA-1 is a novel dependable biomarker in patients with acute coronary syndrome. It shows significant upregulation in patients with AMI, but this upregulation is far from that of UA

Diagnostic values of gene expression of cytokeratin - 19 mrna and mammaglobin mrna in breast cancer patients using real-time polymerase chain reaction

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women. It constitutes almost 20% of all malignancies in women. Currently it affects approximately 6% of the female population. Even before clinical detection of a primary tumour, cancer cells can invade the adjacent structures from where they travel through lymphatic and blood vessels as circulating tumour cells [CTCs]. CTCs colonize distant organ sites as disseminated tumour cells [DTCs] and eventually form microscopic deposits [micrometastasis < 2 mm in diameter], which may remain dormant, but then ultimately lead to an overt metastatic disease. Cytokeratins [CKs] have become the most widely accepted protein markers for the detection of epithelial tumour cells in mesenchymal tissues, BM, blood and lymph nodes. Based on its breast cancer-association and somewhat unique breast-specific pattern of expression, mammaglobin was believed to be an excellent candidate for a novel and clinically useful breast tumor marker, especially in detecting micrometastasis. This study was performed on one hundred female Individuals. They classified into: Group I: 20 apparently healthy females as control group. Group II: 20 females with stage I breast cancer . Group HI: 20 females with stage II breast cancer. Group IV: 20 females with stage III breast cancer. Group V: 20 females with stage IV breast cancer. The following specific investigations were done for all the studied persons:-Cancer Antigen 15-3 [CA15-3] and Carcinoembryonic Antigen [CEA] using chemilmnmescent immunometric assay [IMMULITE 1000 Analyzer]. Cytokeratin-19 mRNA [CK-19] mRNA and mammaglobin mRNA by Real-time polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]. In group I [control group]: All the 20 healthy control females had low expression values for CK-19 and Mammaglobin. In group 2 [stage I breast cancer]: 35% of patients had over expression values for CK-19 and 20% had over expression values for Mammaglobin. In group 3[stage II breast cancer]: 47.4% of patients had over expression values for CK-19 and 47.4% had over expression values for Mammaglobin. In group 4 [stage III breast cancer] 68.4% of patients had over expression values for CK-19 and 73.7% had over expression values for Mammaglobin. In group 5 [stage IV breast cancer]: 95% of patients had over expression values for CK-19 and 95% had over expression values for Mammaglobin. Our findings support that all patients with breast cancer should be evaluated by CK-19 and Mammaglobin as a regular laboratory assessment beside the routine tumour markers specially in early stages of breast cancer to detect CTCs at the time of diagnosis

Computed verification of radiation and light field size superimposition on cobalt-60 machine

The study was conducted at the Radiation and Isotopes Center of Khartoum [RICK] during the period April 2009- August 2009. The aim of the study was to verify the superimposition of light and radiation field size on Cobalt-60 machine using image processing technique. The portal films used in the test were scanned using digitizer scanner. Then they analyzed using Interactive Digital Language [IDL] program to show the superimposition, in which more concentration was made on field center and borders, provided that the analysis included the four borders of the two fields. Both the standard deviation and the mean methods were used in the analysis process. For all score variations in this study t-test had been performed. P-value was calculated to show if there was any significant impact of each light and radiation field size variation. The result was as follows [10.0 X10.0cm], Medical physicist score was [10.3 +/- 0.11608 X 10.3 +/- 0.099861 cm] and the field size that calculates by computerized score using IDL program was [9.9 +/- 0.036049 X 9.9 +/- 0.01123 cm]. This indicates that the was within the acceptable limits for the automatic reading, as compared with the manual reading in which the penumbra was [8mm] which was very high and risky for the treatment process

Macro- and micromorphology of Grindelia camporum var. camporum greene family asteraceae, cultivated in Egypt: leaf, stem and root

The detailed macro-and micromorphological characters of the stems, leaves and roots of Grindelia camporum varity camporum Greene [syn. Grindelia Robusta] were studied with the aim to find out the diagnostic elements of these organs, which facilitate their identification in both entire and powdered forms

Protein content study revealed presence of isoform 2 of beta-tropomyosin in primary breast cancer tissues from Sudanese patients

This study was designed to compare antigen content of normal and cancerous breast tissues of Sudanese patients. 50 tissue samples- normal and cancerous - from 25 Sudanese patients with primary breast cancer were analyzed for their protein content using 2D PAGE and for protein identification using LC/MS and nr. fasta data base search. Beta-Tropomyosin spot was found in all the cancerous tissues and absent from all the normal tissues of the same patients. The protein is isoform 2 with 257 amino acids. Primary breast cancer tissues from Sudanese patients are characterized by the presence of isoform 2 of beta-tropomyosin, which is not detected in the normal tissues

Cryptosporidiosis among patients with diarrhoea attending Nyala Hospital

Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic zoonotic non-bloody diarrhoeal disease that affects all people. Children and the immunosuppressed are more at risk than immunocompetent adults. It occurs in an epidemic as well as sporadic forms. Stool examination for Cryptosporidium oocysts has to be considered in non-bloody diarrhoea stools. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis among patients presenting with non-bloody diarrhoea to Nyala medical laboratory. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study including non-bloody diarrhoeal stool specimens of 72 patients. The stool specimens were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts by using Safranine/ Methylene blue stain technique. Eleven [15.3%] out of 72 patients were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Seven of them were below five years of age. Cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of non-bloody diarrhoea especially among children. This study enrolled a small number of patients. Nevertheless we recommend inclusion of Cryptosporidium in laboratory examination of non-bloody diarrhoeal stools in certain locations

Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with methanol extract of Allium sativa [garlic], Azadirachta indica [Neem] and Accacia nilotica [Garad] in Gezira Central of Sudan

To assess the in vivo treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis using certain medicinal agents and non medicinal agents in Gezira State, Sudan. To evaluate the in vivo anti-lesihmanial activity of certain plant extracts that used traditionally in Sudan [Azadirachta indica [neem], Accacia nilotica [garad], Allium sativa [garlic, Thoum]]. A total of 72 cases with cutaneous leishmanisis were studied in Wad Madani Dermatology Teaching Hospital [September 1999 - December 2000]. They were from different parts of the Gezira state. The patients were interviewed and examined followed a special designed questionnaire. The cases showed different types of lesions with different duration and appeared in different areas of the body. The cases divided equally into six main groups [12 for each] for treatment with different agents including medicinal agents and plant methanol extracts

efficacy of artemether/lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children in an area of high transmission in southern Sudan

Sudanese health authority adopted a new antimalarial drug policy in response to the reported high level of chloroquine resistance. "Artesunate+ sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine" [ASP] and "artemether/lumefantrine" [A/L] are recommended as first and second lines for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria respectively. This study aims to evaluate the clinical andparasitological response to A/L and to report any side effects related to the drug in children living in high transmission areas. This evaluation of the clinical and parasitological response to directly observed treatment with 6 doses A/L following WHO protocol for monitoring antimalarial drugs efficacy. Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood smears were examined microscopically on days 0, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28, or at other times if a patient felt unwell The primary end point was the 28-day cure rate and the secondary end points were time to parasite clearance. A total of 75 [40.8%] patients met the inclusion criteria, of them 70 [97.2%] patients showed adequate clinical and parasitological response [radical cure], 2 [2.8%] patients were classified as early treatment failure and 3 [4%] patients were lost to be followed-up by day 3. No progression to severe illness or danger signs occurred for any patient during the study. The main outcome of study was that A/L was found to be highly effective against Plasmodium falciparum uncomplicated malaria, well tolerated by children with no reported serious side effects. Dramatic decrease in parasites density and fever were observed in most of the cases by day 3 of treatment

Qualitative and quantitative estimation of phenytoin in hair of epileptic patients by thin layer chromatography [TLC] and high performance liquid chromatpgraphy [HPLC]

The Two methods [TLC and HPLC] were applied to the head hair of epileptic patients who are orally treated with 100, 150, 200 and 300 mg of phenytoin daily. The detection of phenytoin in human hair revealed that, by TLC phenytoin was present in all hair samples. Zwikker's reagent and the dithiazone reagent were the best spraying reagents when the eluent was methanol to chloroform 1:9 by HLPC, phenytoin was present in hair samples at concentrations ranged from 4.3-9.5 ng/mg after administration of 100-300 mg/day of phenytoin respectively with a retention time 6.16 min when the mobile phase was Acetonitrile 70% to methanol 30%. The results show a linear correlation between the drug concentration in human hair and the daily dosage of phenytoin

Autoimmune thrombocytopenia: flow cytometric determination of platelet-associated CD 154/CD40L and CD40 on peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes: their role in immunological aspects of the disease

The CD40-CD40L system has pleiotropic effects in a variety of cells and biological processes including immune response. Within the immune system, these molecules represent a critical link between its humoral and cellular arms. Immune or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [ITP] is an autoimmune disorder characterized by antibody-induced platelet destruction and clearance because of anti-platelet autoantibodies, which bind to circulating platelets resulting in their destruction by the reticuloendothelial system. Despites its clinical importance, the diagnosis of ITP is one of exclusion, thus, inevitably associated with potential difficulties, CD40 is a cell surface receptor that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor- receptor [TNF-R] family, and that was first identified and functionally characterized on B lymphocytes. CD40-ligand [CD40L/CD154], a member of the TNF superfamily is a cell membrane molecule expressed on activated CD4+ T lymphocytes and is essential for the T cell-dependent activation of B lymphocytes. Therefore it is now thought that CD40-CD40L interactions play a more important role in ITP immune regulation. The expressions of CD154 and CD40 on peripheral blood [PB] T and B lymphocytes, respectively, were measured using the technique of flow cytometry. An antigen-specific assay for platelet-associated antibody CD150 [CD40L] on CD4+ T lymphocytes and for CD40 on CD 19+ B lymphocytes was tested in 30 children patients with acute ITP, 30 adult patients with chronic ITP, and in 20 age-and sex-matched healthy controls. The results of this showed that the expressions of CD4+CD154+ and of CD4+CD154+/CD4+ on PB T lymphocytes, and of CD19+CD40+ and of CD19+CD40+/CD19+ on PB B lymphocytes were significantly higher in acute and chronic ITP patients compared to controls, and in acute patients compared to chronics [p<0.001]. CD40-CD40L interaction plays and important role in the pathology of certain autoimmune diseases. ITP is an autoimmune disease characterized by increased platelet destruction caused by anti-platelet auto antibodies, which mainly target a platelet surface antigen. It is speculated that platelet-associated CD154 is competent to induce the CD40-dependent proliferation of B lymphocytes. Therefore, platelet-associated CD154 expression is increased in ITP patients and is able to drive the activation of autoreactive B lymphocytes in this disease. These findings are particularly useful for clarifying the pathogenic process in ITP patients and for developing a therapeutic approach that blocks pathogenic anti-platelet antibody production. Blockade of the CD40/CD154 signal is a potential immunomodulatory strategy for T-cell mediated diseases, and many findings suggest that CD40/CD154 blockade therapy is potentially effective for ITP through selective suppression of autoreactive T and B lymphocytes to platelet antigens

Hepatocellular carcinoma directly invading the duodenum

Recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding from hepatocellular carcinoma HCC invading the duodenum is very rare. We present a case of 50-year-old male who was admitted with a history of recurrent upper gastrointestinal tract UGIT bleeding, weight loss and anemia. The patient was known to have a chronic hepatitis C. Endoscopic examination showed grade-2 non-bleeding esophageal varices, and a large ulcerated duodenal mass partially obstructing the duodenal bulb outlet and causing recurrent UGIT bleeding. Pathological evaluation of the mass revealed HCC

Ultrasonographic signs of sliding gastric hiatal hernia and their prospective evaluation

This study was conducted to identify sonographic findings that might be used in diagnosing sliding gastric hiatal hernia [SGHH] by using transabdominal ultrasound [TUS], to measure normal length and thickness of abdominal esophageal walls and to identify esophagogastric junction [OGJ]. A retrospective evaluation of 18 patients known to have sliding hiatal hernia and 12 normal controls was performed. A prospective study of 38 patients with symptoms suggesting hiatal herniation [epigastric or chest pain, heart burn and regurgitation] had been evaluated. In the controls, the OGJ could be visualized clearly in all cases and alimentary tract section [ATS] at the diaphragmatic hiatus ranged from 7.1 to 10.0 mm. The OGJ was not visualized in any of hernia patients whose alimentary tract diameters ranged from 16.0 to 21.0 mm. The use of US in the initial workup of patients with symptoms suggesting hiatus hernia may reduce the need for more invasive diagnostic procedures

Management of giant cell tumour of bones: Report of 16 cases

A retrospective review was conducted on sixteen giant cell tumours which had mostly occurred in the extremities. These tumours were treated as three groups operated on by three different surgical techniques. The treatment was mainly aggressive curettage with the use of local adjuvant therapy. The cavity was then filled with bone grafting or acrylic cement or both. The functional results were critically analyzed according to the system of Enneking. One lesion recurred twice, probably due to insufficient surgical excision of the tumour. However, the authors emphasized the importance of the surgical margin with the use of local adjuvant therapy and cement reconstruction, which facilitated quicker rehabilitation

Immunological profile during diabetic ketoacidosis with follow - up study

Eighteen patients with classical diabetic ketoacidosis were included in the present study. Serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, IgM and complement C[3] were estimated during diabetic ketosis [D.K.] and after correction of D.K. Ten healthy persons were taken as controls. There was significant elevation of the serum IgG, IgA and hypercompelementemia during D.K. that decreased after correction of the ketosis but was still higher than normal. The serum IgM was significantly increased in those ketotics in whom severe infections predominated as a precipitating factor of D.K. A causal and effective relationship for such enhanced humoral immune parameters during DK is present. Several mechanisms are suggested to operate: haemoconcentration during DK, acute stressfull situations insulin resistance and antinsulin antibodies and decreased clearance of complement and antibodies due to defective host defence mechanism during D.K.