Angiogenic factors in Egyptian bladder cancer patients

Bladder cancer is the second most common urological cancer with an estimated 53,200 diagnosed cases and 12,100 resultant deaths in the year 2000. The incidence of bladder cancer has increased over the past two decades due to improved detection rate of the early stages of the disease i.e. superficial bladder cancer, while the decreasing mortality rate results from a decrease in the incidence of invasive and metastatic form of the disease and improvement in the therapy. Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for normal growth and development and abnormal angiogenesis is a critical feature of many diseases including cancers. The molecules that stimulate angiogenesis are called antigenic factors and are released by tumour cells or leukocytes within the turnour. This submitted work has been performed to fulfill the following objectives: 1- Determination of the angiogenic stimulators, Platelet derived growth factor [PDGF] and nitric oxide [NO] in sera as well as basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF], hyaluronic acid [HA] and hyauronidase [HAase] in urine of patients with bladder cancer as well as reference healthy persons and patients with benign bladder lesions for comparison. 2- Matching of the assayed measures to be correlated with clinicopathological criteria of patients. The current study included 60 patients divided into two groups: I] Group 1: included 30 patients who were already diagnosed as bladder cancer by cystoscopy and biopsy, and further subdivided into 2 subgroups according to the histopathological picture of their cancer tissues into: A] Squamous cell carcinoma [76.7%] included 22 patients B] Transitional cell carcinoma [23.3%] included 8 patients II] Croup II: included 30 patients with benign bladder lesions subjected to: 1] Thorough clinical examination. 2] Urine analysis 3] complete blood picture. 4] Cystoscopy. 5] Biopsy and histopathological examination of the tissue sample. The study also included 14 reference healthy subjects. The work has concluded that serum levels of PDGF were significantly higher [p<0.0001] in patients with bladder cancer compared with both of benign -bladder diseases and the -healthy subjects. Meanwhile, serum levels of PDGF were also significantly higher in-patients with benign bladder diseases compared to healthy persons. Measured bFGF in the urine of patients with bladder cancer was significantly higher with respect to those with benign lesions as well as the reference healthy cases. [P<0.0001]. Urinary HA of bladder cancer patients was also significant higher than those with benign bladder lesion or health persons [p<0.0001]. Urinary HA ase activity was found to be significantly higher in the patients with bladder cancer compared to those with benign bladder lesions and the health pet [P<0.0001]. The serum concentrations of nitric oxide were significantly higher in-patients bladder cancer compared to those with benign with bladder diseases and the healthy group [P< 0001]. This work obviates that measured angiogenic factors [PDGF and bFGF] have a domain role in development of bladder cancer. Hence, angiogenic inhibitors and as beneficial components as adjuvant therapy with surgery, chemotherapy radiotherapy

Biochemical versus radiological studies for early detection of steroid-induced bone depletion in children

To examine the early effects of the usual dose of prednisone treatment [1-2mg/kg / day] for about one month on bone depletion in different pediatric diseases. Bone mineral density [BMD] was measured using quantitative computed tomography [QCT]. Bone formation was quantified by measurement of serum osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, calcium and phosphorus. Bone resorption was measured by urinary excretion of calcium, phosphorus and hydroxyproline. BMD was significantly reduced in the steroid treated group [P < 0.05]. As regards bone formation parameters, only osteocalcin was significantly reduced [P < 0.05] while other parameters were not different. Urinary hydroxyproline and phosphorus as parameters of bone resorption were significantly elevated [P < 0.01 and < 0.05 respectively] with no change in urinary calcium excretion. No correlation has been found between BMD and any of the laboratory markers. One month treatment with prednisone in the usual dose is associated with some degree of bone depletion and although osteocalcin and hydroxyproline values were significantly different in the steroid treated group, yet they are weak substitutes for radiological studies [bone densitometry] in monitoring bone density in these patients

Antioxidant status of children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome

The aim of this work was to investigate the changes in lipid peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase together with vitamin A and vitamin C in steroid sensitive nephritic syndrome [SSNS]. The study was carried out on 23 children with SSNS in addition to 23 age and sex matched controls. After a thorough history and clinical examination, all were subjected to laboratory investigations including complete urine analysis, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, plasma proteins, serum albumin, serum cholesterol, blood catalase [Cat], plasma superoxide dismutase [SOD], plasma lipid peroxide, vitamin C and vitamin A levels. The results showed that serum lipid peroxidase was significantly higher in nephrotic children and maximum increase occurred during relapse. Blood catalase superoxide dismutase, vitamins A and C were significantly lower in nephrotic children compared with the control group and the maximal decrease was during relapse. There was a significant positive correlation between serum catalase and SOD and vitamin C in patients with [SSNS]