ABSTRACT
Objectives: this prospective study was proposed to determine the levels of circulating leptin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus [CHC] infection, and to identify its correlation with anthropometric parameters, lipaemic profile, biochemical liver functions, histological and virological studies
Methods: seventy-five patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection [CHC] without anti-viral treatment were enrolled in this study. Fifteen age- sex and body mass index [BMI]-matched healthy individuals served as controls. All patients and controls underwent measurements for anthropometric parameters, circulating leptin, lipaemic profile and biochemical liver functions. A liver biopsy and viral load measurements were performed for all patients
Results: the serum leptin level in patients with chronic HCV infection was significantly higher than that in controls. Serum leptin levels in females in general were significantly higher those in males. Serum leptin levels were positively correlated with body fat%, BMI, Apo B, steatosis grade and ALT but not with other liver function, serum lipids, HCV RNA levels, necroinflammatory score and fibrosis grade. However significant correlations were found between the serum leptin and ALT levels with necroinflammatory activity score in the CHC group without steatosis. By inserting the score of steatosis [0-3] into the score of necroinflammation, significant correlations were detected for the new modified activity score with serum leptin or ALT level
Conclusions: HCV infection interferes with fat and lipid metabolism in patients with chronic HCV infection, and the serum leptin levels might be a reflection of the abnormalities in fat and lipid metabolism resulted from viral infection and related hepatic necroinflammation. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the possible etiopathologic, immunoregulatory and potential therapeutic role of leptin in chronic HCV infection
ABSTRACT
Clinical, experimental and histopathological studies were done on fifteen patients and four rabbits to illustrate the effect of hemicircumferential periosteal release on the growth of long bones. The clinical material included fifteen patients with bow legs deformity, their ages ranged between 2-5 years [with an average of 3.5 years] and the experimental material included four rabbits, each was five weeks of age. The procedure was done on ten patients [five were considered as control cases] and four rabbits [one leg operated and the other leg is considered as the control case]. The results were encouraging, correction of Bow legs occurred within 6-8 months after operation. Also, growth changes occurred in tibia of experimental animals and histopathological changes were observed in the growth plate adjacent to the divided periosteum