ABSTRACT
Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] including ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's disease [CD] are organic inflammatory diseases, caused by chronic mucosal inflammation of the gasrtointetinal tract. As the presenting manifestations of IBD and other diseases are similar, obtaining a clinical diagnosis can be difficult, and further invasive diagnostic procedures may be required in order to obtain a confirmed diagnosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic utility of measuring fecal concentrations of lactoferrin as a simple and noninvasive indicator of disease activity in patients IBD and to be correlated with endoscopic findings and disease activity index and acute inflammatory response including leucocytic count, high sensitive CRP, ESR
Methods: This study was carried on 40 patients with IBD; 24 patients with active IBD [16 UC patients and 8 CD patients] and 16 patients with inactive IBD [10 UC patients and 6 CD patients] versus 40 healthy controls. All patients underwent blood and stool sampling as well as an interview to assess the disease severity utilizing UC activity measured by the Truelove and Witts Severity Index and Crohn's Disease Activity Index. Measurement of FLA levels at different stages of inflammatory bowel disease activity to detect its role in assessment of disease severity
Results: This study showed that FLA levels were highest in patients with IBD in comparison with healthy group. FLA levels also correlated significantly with disease severity in patients with IBD where higher levels of FLA were found in patients with severe UC or Crohn's disease. At cutoff value 9.68 ug/ml FLA showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in identification of patients with IBD from healthy subjects
Conclusions: FLA is a sensitive and specific biochemical marker of inflammation for use in the diagnosis of suspected IBD cases, and its level correlates well with both clinical disease activity indices
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Lactoferrin/analysis , Feces , Colitis, Ulcerative , Crohn Disease , Case-Control StudiesABSTRACT
Background: Heart failure constitutes a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the United States and its incidence and prevalence continue to grow, increasing its burden on the health care system. Renal dysfunction in patients with heart failure is common and has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This interaction, termed the cardiorenal syndrome, is a complex phenomenon characterized by a pathophysiological disequilibrium between the heart and the kidney, in which malfunction of one organ subsequently promotes the impairment of the other. Multiple neuro-humoral mechanisms are involved in this cardiorenal interaction, including the deficiency of and/or resistance to compensatory natriuretic peptides, leading to sodium retention, volume overload and organ remodeling. Management of patients with the cardiorenal syndrome can be challenging and should be individualized. Emerging therapies must address the function of both organs in order to secure better clinical outcomes. To this end, a multidisciplinary approach is recommended to achieve optimal results.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cardio-Renal Syndrome/physiopathology , Cardio-Renal Syndrome/therapyABSTRACT
The morphological differentiation between chromophobe renal cell carcinoma [RCC] and renal oncocytoma [RO] may be difficult. This study evaluates S100A1 protein as a new marker for the differentiation between these two tumors. We selected twenty cases; fifteen of which were typically diagnosed after routine histopathological staining by hematoxylin and eosin [7 chromophobe RCC and 8 RO] while the remaining five cases showed confusing cytomorphological features and uncertainly diagnosed. Immunoperoxidase technique using atni-S100A1 antibody carried out semiquantitavely in all cases displayed a strong cytoplasmic positive granularity in five typical RO, moderate immunopositivity in two typical RO and weak reactivity in on typical RO while all seven typical chromophobe RCC cases were immunonegative. Regarding uncertainly diagnosed cases, three were immunopositive for S100A1 antibody [one strong, one moderate and one weakly reactive] in the same pattern as typical RO while the remaining two cases were immunonegative like typical chromophobe RCC cases. From our study, we concluded that S100A1 may be a potentially powerful marker to differentiate the chromophobe RCC from RO particularly when these tumors are in doubt about routine histologic diagnosis
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Carcinoma, Renal Cell/diagnosis , Adenoma, Oxyphilic/diagnosis , Eosine Yellowish-(YS) , Hematoxylin , Kidney NeoplasmsABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Many laboratory and clinical studies have suggested that there are important inverse relationships between expression of HER-2 oncoprotein and hormonal receptors[ER,PR],the prognosis and treatment are also greatly depend on hormonal receptor of neoplastic cells to define these relationships using standard immunohistochemistry for HER-2,ER and PR studies were performed in addition to routine histopahtological grading of carcinoma of the breast
Methods: Between January 2006 and December 2008 at histopathology lab of Rezgary hospital and private lab, [122] women who were operated on for diagnostic excisional biopsies of the breast cancers to allow analysis of routinely resected tissue. Quantitative expression of HER-2,ER and PR was measured on the resected samples of the breast cancers with cutoff points HER-2,ER and PR positivity were 10.6%,5.5%,5% respectively in addition to routine study of histopathology for grading of cancers according to Nottingham modified Bloom and Richardson criteria
Results: Immunohistochemical analysis for ER, PR, and HER-2 were performed. ER and PR expression were decreased significantly in HER-2 positive tumors compared with HER-2 negative tumors [ER, 15.57%, vs. 41.8% vs. and PR, 13.11% vs. 37.70%;]. Even among HER-2+ tumors, the rate of ER or PR expression in high-grade tumors was significantly decreased compared with intermediate-grade tumors. HER-2 was positive in 73.3% of grade 2 and 66.6% of grade 3 ductal carcinomas and 6.89 in grade 1 ductal carcinomas. HER-2 expression essentially in grades 2 and 3 ductal carcinomas, very few cases in grade 1 and correlated inversely with ER or PR expression. Although ER or PR expression is decreased in HER-2+ tumors, a substantial proportion of them still express ER or PR
Conclusions: The results of this study are consistent with the indication of inverse relationships between HER-2 and ER, PR increased ER and PR levels in low grade neoplastic tissue, the low grade neoplasms responding to hormonal therapy while high grade responding to hormonal therapy while high grage responding to herceptine
ABSTRACT
On reviewing child health in the developing countries it immediately becomes apparent that the highest morbidity and mortality occur in infancy and the preschool age. The main causes are gastroenteritis, respiratory diseases, the six immunizable diseases and malnutrition. The ecological and aetiological factors involved in their high prevalence have been discussed. It has been stressed that this age group and these diseases should receive the highest priority, outweighing all other measures directed towards improving child health. Since they are all preventable, and since their correction needs a different approach from that applied in hospitals, it is suggested that these objectives are served better in MCH centres. The specific promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative functions of the centres, which are expected to result in a permanent reduction of the high morbidity and mortality, have been outlined. Finally, suggestions have been put forward for the building, staffing and training of intermediate-level personnel. Female education at the moment lags behind the vast socioeconomic advances already attained by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Till this aspect catches up, it has been emphasized that the gap can only be bridged by health education of the present generation of mothers through MCH centres. Should the measures outlined be adopted, it is envisaged that the Kingdom will be the first developing country to reduce morbidity and mortality in the under-fives to Caucasian levels