Duodenal and gastric mucosal histopathologic changes in patients with giardiasis

Giardiasis occurs most frequently in subtropical and tropical settings and in areas with poor sanitary conditions. Prevalence varies from 2 to 7% in developed countries to 40% in developing countries. In Egypt; the rate reported is around 15% in patients with gastrointestinal complaints. The histopathology of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract of patients with giardiasis as shown by endoscopy and biopsy is ill defined. Reported histopathological changes in duodenum and gastric mucosa varies from 3.4% to 50% in different studies.Thirty two stool positive cases of giardiasis and 11 stool-Giardia negative controls were studied; biopsies were taken from duodenum and stomach [body and antrum] from each patient. In addition to studying the pathological changes, duodenal biopsies were studied for the presence of Giardia lamblia and gastric biopsies for Helicobacter pylori.Giardia lamblia were detected in 13 of 32 duodenal biopsies [40.6%], chronic inflammation in 27 cases [84%], partial villous atrophy in 13 [40.6%] and fibrosis in 5 cases [15.6%].Gastric histopathologic changes found were chronic antral gastritis in 29 cases [90.6%], Helicobacter pylori in 21 cases [65.6%], follicular gastritis in 11 cases [34.38%] and mild atrophy in 5 cases [15.5%]. Intraepithelial lymphocytes infiltration to lamina propria was 24 +/- 10.4 / 100 enterocytes. Comparison of gastric and duodenal histopathological changes in patients and controls showed significant difference in chronic antral gastritis [P = 0.007], intraepithelial lymphocytes infiltration [P = 0.04] and partial villous atrophy [P = 0.05]. Among the 32 patients group pathological changes were compared in Giardia positive with Giardia negative biopsies [for chronic inflammation 92.3% versus 78.9%, P = 0.322; for partial villous atrophy 46.2% versus 36.8%, P = 0.612 and for fibrosis 23.1% versus 10.5%, P = 0.159, for the 2 subgroups of Giardia positive and Giardia negative biopsies, respectively. Similar but less marked changes were seen in biopsies from the body of stomach, and changes in the antrum were unrelated to the presence of Giardia lamblia in the duodenum. A careful search for Giardia lamblia in stool is important in patients with the gastrointestinal complaints of abdominal cramps, bloating and or diarrhea. In such cases gastric and duodenal mucosal changes can be present even if Giardia is not found in biopsy specimens so long as stool is positive for Giardia lamblia

Evaluation of heat shock protein 70 in psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common chronic, relapsing, noninfectious inflammatory skin disease. The concept that psoriasis has a genetic basis has been accepted for many years and it is commonly thought of as a complex trait. Heat shock proteins [HSPs] are group of proteins whose expression is increased when the cells are exposed to elevated temperature or other stress.These proteins can be induced by a range of cellular stressors including increased temperature, oxidative stress and nutritional deficiencies. Hsps have been proposed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The aim of this work is to detect the expression of HSP70 in psoriasis and its correlation to the disease severity and to review potential role of HSP70 in pathogenesis and therapy of psoriasis. Skin biopsies were taken from 20 patients with different severity of untreated chronic plaque-type psoriasis and from 20 healthy volunteers. Antibodies to HSP70 were analyzed immunohistochemically. Immunoreactivity intensity distribution index [IRIDI] scores including the proportion of immunoreactive cells and their staining intensity were calculated in the basal, suprabasal, superficial as well as the whole epidermal layers of patients and controls. Results of our study revealed that differential and total IRIDI scores for HSP70 expression showed highly significant higher values in psoriatic patients compared to controls. Statistical differences were found between the different groups of patients; according to their disease severity and controls. Positive correlations also existed between IRIDI scores of patients and disease severity. Our study provides further evidence on the importance of Hsp70 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and shows increased Hsp70 expression in psoriatic epidermis correlated to increased severity of psoriasis. To our knowledge no previous studies made correlation with HSP70 expression in psoriasis and disease severity. Finally, we are looking forwards to the application of a new therapy that targets Hsp70 or its receptor CD91 and helps in treatment of psoriasis

Study of serum amylin in liver cirrhosis with diabetes mellitus

This study aimed to evaluate plasma amylin level in patients with chronic liver disease with and without diabetes. The study included 20 patients with liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus [12 males and eight females], ten patients with liver cirrhosis and normal glucose tolerance [eight males and two with a mean age of 49.5 +/- 12.9 years] and ten patients with NIDDM without liver disease [two males and eight females with a mean age of 56.1 +/- 7.4 years] in addition to ten healthy individuals as controls [six males and four females with a mean age of 39.4 +/- 4.1 years]. In all patients and controls, an oral glucose tolerance test was done and the levels of plasma C-peptide and amylin [using RIA kits] were measured

Spectrophotometric determination of penicillamine

Spectrophotometric determination of penicillamine was achieved through its oxidation to penicillamine acid, using excess cerric ammonium sulfate in presence of i.m. sulfuric acid at room temperature for one hour. The amount of cerric equivalent to penicillamine is determined by measuring the absorbance of the blank against the experiment at 317 nm. Beer's law is obeyed over a concentration range of 48-288 mug% of penicillamine with mean percentage recovery of 99.80 +/- 0.565. The stoichiometry and the products of the reaction were studied as well as the mechanism of the reaction is presented. The method was applied to Artamin capsules and its validity was ascertained by st and ard addition technique. The proposed method is sensitive, accurate and precise as compared with the official method

Titrimetric determination of piroxicam and diclofenac sodium using N-bromosuccinimide

A simple volumetric method for the determination of each of piroxicam and diclofenac sodium is suggested based on the reaction with N- bromosuccinimide [NBS]. The direct titration with NBS is only successful for piroxicam in glacial acetic acid medium using methyl orange as indicator. However, the indirect titration is described for both piroxicam and diclofenac sodium, in which the drug solution is allowed to react with a known excess of standard NBS solution for the specified time and the excess NBS is back titrated iodometrically. The different factors affecting the titrations are discussed. The method determines 1.2 mg of piroxicam in the direct titration with a mean accuracy of 100.4 +/- 1.03% and determines 2-12 mg of piroxicam and 1-15 mg of diclofenac sodium in the indirect titration with mean accuracies of 100.0 +/- 0.53% and 100.1 +/- 0.78%, respectively