Incidence, Risk Factors and Prognosis of Acute Kidney Injury Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The burden of acute kidney injury (AKI) has not been explored in Jordanian patients who receive hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency, risk factors, and mortality of AKI among patients who underwent HSCT. METHODS: A retrospective pilot study included 70 adult patients who received peripheral HSCT was conducted. Weekly measurement of serum creatinine (SCr) was obtained for 3 months after chemotherapy and HSCT. Then, stages of Risk, Injury, and Failure of Kidney were determined based on the Kidney Disease for Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). RESULTS: The median follow-up was 41 months. Mortality was reported in 16 patients (23%). Out of 60 patients that had SCr values, 19 patients (31.6%) had AKI in 90 days after chemotherapy. Allogeneic HSCT, male donors, high-dose melphalan protocols and values of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly higher among patients with AKI. CONCLUSIONS: Combining many nephrotoxic drugs and dosing adjustments should be considered in uniform protocols. Multidisciplinary care should be utilized to assess early kidney dysfunction that decreases adverse events and improves outcomes.

Urinary fibronectin in bladder cancer: is it a reliable tumor marker?

Twenty eight patients with bladder cancer and 21 with different benign urological diseases were included. Healthy persons [15] were tested as a control group. A complete history, general and local examinations, routine investigations as well as urinary fibronectin assay were done using an ELISA technique. Radiodiagnostic studies and cystoscopic examination; and biopsy taking; were then performed. The marker showed a mean value of 260 microgm/L in cases of bladder cancer 96.19 microgm/L in benign urological diseases, and 88.5 microgm/L in control group. It had a 75% sensitivity, 58.8% specificity, and 86.4% overall accuracy.The marker has good diagnostic and fair prognostic abilities

Macro and micromorphological study of leucas neufliseana courb

The macro- and micromorphology of the stems and leaves of Leucas neufliseana Courb. growing in Egypt were described with the aim of finding out the diagnostic features by which the plant could be identified in both the entire and powdered forms

Phenolic compounds from lippia nodiflora

Two phenylpropanoid compounds: Acteoside and 2'-O-acetylechinacoside and a flavone derivative, 5,7,3-trihydroxy-6,4-dimethoxy flavone were isolated and identified from the alcoholic extract of Lippia nodiflora [L.] Michx. [= Phyla nodiflora [L.] Greene], family Verbenaceae. Their structures were established through physical and chemical methods, in addition to different spectroscopic techniques [UV, IR, MS, H and 13C-NMR]

Plasma fibronectin level in malignant external otitis

This study was carried out on twenty diabetic patients [10 had malignant external otitis, and 10 were under medical control] in a trial to find out any relationship between plasma fibronectin level and severity of malignant external otitis infection. Plasma fibronectin was significantly high in cases of malignant external otitis compared to uncomplicated diabetic cases and normal individuals. Plasma fibronectin was positively correlated with blood glucose level and with the severity of the disease as detected by radionuclide imaging; also it was significantly increased in cases of malignant external otitis compared to the same cases after treatment or in diabetic cases under medical control. Therefore, the degree of increase of plasma fibronectin level can be considered as a parameter reflecting the severity of malignant external otitis. On the other hand, a decrease of its level indicates heading of malignant external otitis. However, trial for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of exogenous fibronectin in promoting healing of malignant external otitis might be recommended as a future research

Further isoquinoline alkaloids form arthrocnemum glaucum

Two isoquinoline alkaloids, [R]-[+]-1-methyl-6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline [[R]-[+]-salsolidine] and 1-methyl-6,7-dimethoxyisoquinoline [nigellimine], were isolated from the aerial parts of Arthrocnemum glaucum. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods [UV, IR, MS, 1D, and 2D NMR]. This is the first report of the isolation of these two alkaloids from this species and the third report of the isolation of nigellimine from a natural source