Study of Interleukin-16 in Bronchoalveolar lavage of Smokers with and without chronic bronchitis

The study included 30 subjects [10 case of healthy smokers with no chest symptoms, 10 cases of smokers with chronic bronchitis and ten healthy non smokers as control group]. The result of this study showed highly significant statistical increase in the level of IL- 16 in BAL and serum of smokers with or without chronic bronchitis compared to control group [P < 0.001, P < 0.0001 respectively] but no significant statistical difference in its level in BAL and serum of smokers with and without chronic bronchitis [P < 0.05, P > 0.05 respectively]. Also, there was no significant correlation between serum and BAL IL- 16 level in non smokers and smokers without chronic bronchitis [P< 0.05] but there was a significant correlation between them in smokers with chronic bronchitis [P< 0.05]. We concluded that, BAL and serum IL- 16 levels are significantly higher in smokers, [even if they are asymptomatic] than in non smokers, this fact must make us to focus on the danger of smoking in the community

Colour doppler echocardiographic study in systemic sarcoidosis

The present study was done on 15 patients with systemic sarcoidosis. They were diagnosed according to the clinical, laboratory and biopsy specimen proved non caseating sarcoid granulomas. Also, ten control subjects with matched age and sex were included. All patients were subjected to full history and a complete clinical examination, laboratory investigations, ECG chest x-ray, CT for chest and color Doppler echocardiography. It was concluded that hemodynamic abnormalities are common in patients having sarcoidosis and these results demonstrated a significant prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. These abnormalities are due to subclinical sarcoid cardiomyopathy

Polymerase chain reaction amplification versus [presenting symptoms, radiographic changes and standard microbiological methods] for diagnosis of pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis

This study was conducted on 100 patients [64 males and 36 females] suspected to have pulmonary TB from the presenting symptoms and X-ray picture and 20 patients [12 males and eight females] with pleural effusion suspected to be of tuberculous origin. Patients suspected to have pulmonary TB were classified into three groups according to the presenting symptoms as those with typical, compatible and atypical symptoms, the same patients were classified according to chest X-ray appearance as those with typical, compatible and atypical X-ray appearance. The results showed that the presenting symptoms are more predictive in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB than X-ray appearance. Also, the rate of positivity in the different diagnostic methods used increased according to presenting symptoms or X-ray appearance. Finally, polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay on the sputum or pleural effusion fluid is more valuable than either PCR assay on the blood or microscopic or culture examination for the diagnosis of pulmonary or pleural tuberculosis as its sensitivity was 93.67%, 97.4% and 100% for the blood, sputum and pleural fluid, respectively

comparative study between the effect of inhaled and systemic steroids on adrenal function in asthmatic children

This study was conducted on 30 asthmatic children, their ages ranged between 6 and 12 years and they were classified into three groups: Group I [10 children] treated by bronchodilators alone [6 weeks], Group II [10 children] treated by inhaled steroids [6 weeks] and Group III [10 children] treated by systemic steroids [6 weeks]. Serum cortisol level was measured before and after the treatment for each child in the three groups. Results obtained have shown that there was no significant difference between before and after treatment of the serum cortisol level in group I, but there were highly significant differences in group II and III. By comparing group I and group II, there was a significant difference and a highly significant difference between levels before and after treatment, respectively. Comparing group I and III, there was a highly significant difference between both of them before and after treatment levels. Comparison between group II and III showed a highly significant difference between before and after treatment of the serum cortisol levels