Biobanking: A Challenge Facing Pathologists in Egypt.

Background: Biobanking today plays a key tool in biomedical research. Establishment and proper running of biobanks in developing countries is confronted with a number of challenges of legal, ethical, and financial nature. Considering that there are no guidelines or regulations to control biobanking in Egypt; major ethical issues arise and are often managed by research ethics committees (RECs). Pathologists are the custodians of tissue samples in different universities and hospitals; they have an important role in advancement of scientific research. So, they have to equip themselves adequately to manage the evolution of pathology work towards integration of biomarker analysis in clinical research and to deal with the ethical and legal issues of biobanks in Egypt. Objective/Aim: The purpose of this review is to highlight the current situation of human tissue research and biobanking in Egypt with Comparative policy of other countries. We will address the role of pathologists and the difficulties and challenges facing the process of initiating biobanks and give some recommendations that might help different stakeholders for biobanking in Egypt. Conclusion: Egypt is one of the developing countries which are in need to implement biobanks to improve the quality of research. The review highlights the different challenges facing biobanks in Egypt, mainly: lack of legislations, consent form, public trust, tissue transfer and commercialization. It also discuss the role of pathologists and research ethics committees in establishing and maintaining the work in these biobanks; and to make every effort for the interests of the participants, community and scientific progress, hopefully for good future biomedical research in Egypt.

Daily living activities of physically disabled children in ismailia city

The present study is descriptive study that aiming to assess daily living activities of physically disabled children. The study was conducted at the available established settings in Ismailia city including Handicapped Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Unit in Suez Canal University Hospitals and Physiotherapy Unit in Health Insurance Hospitals. The sample included 76 physically disabled children and their accompanying mothers. Data were obtained through an interview with the studied children and their accompanying mothers using three tools, structured interview questionnaire, physical assessment sheet to assess the physically disabled children's daily living activities and rating scale to assess the psychological aspects of the studied children. The results of the study revealed that the studied children were partially dependent in relation to eating and drinking, personal hygiene, toileting and studying their lessons, while they were independent in relation to their motor activities and using both telephone and money. Physical disability has negative physical, financial, social and psychological impact on the studied children's families as found in 65.8%, 59.2%, 46.1% and 75% respectively. Slightly more than three quarters of the studied mothers had unsatisfactory knowledge regarding the physical disability of their children [76.3%]. The study recommends applying an educational program to enable the physically disabled children to achieve their daily living activities independently. Further researches should be done aiming to increase the knowledge of mothers of the physically disabled children through experimental programs and assigning pamphlets on different types of disabilities

Physical, psychosocial stressors and coping patterns of children under haemodialysis therapy: effect of nursing intervention study

This study sample involved 50 children under hemodialysis [HD] therapy. Tools of data collection were questionnaire, physical assessment sheet, psychometric assessment, hemodialysis stressor scale and Jalowiec coping scale. The study concluded that nursing intervention enhanced knowledge about renal failure and its care, decreased levels of anxiety and depression and increased self-esteem that consequently result in better coping patterns of the studied children with their illness and stressors imposed by its related therapy. The study recommended further interventions to larger study samples to acquaint children under HD therapy with the required skills to cope with their illness that consequently will improve the quality of their lives

Non-pharmacological intervention techniques for post operative pain management of children undergoing minor surgery

The present study aimed to investigate to what extent the distraction and relaxation intervention techniques as non-pharmacological methods could be used for postoperative pain management of children undergoing minor surgery. The study included 60 children [41.7% females and 58.3% were males, their mean age was 8.9 + 1.4 years]. The criteria of inclusion in the study were children undergoing minor surgery such as appendectomy, tonsillectomy or hernia. Tools of data collection were pain and behavioral assessment sheet. The results of this study revealed that there were statistical significant differences pre and post distraction and relaxation techniques in reducing pain intensity among children at six hours postoperatively

Effect of restraint stress on hormonal levels, some blood constituents and immunological response of rams

10 rams were used to evaluate the effect of restraint stress on plasma levels of cortisol, ACTH and changes in some blood constituents as glucose, urea, creatinine, total proteins, albumen, globulin, GOT and GPT as well as immunological response including total, differential leukocytic count and lymphocytes blastogenic response to nitrogen. The animals were divided into two groups: The first [G I] unstressed served as control and the second [G II] was restrained by securing their legs with tape for 5 hours daily on 3 successive days. Blood samples were taken at 0 time, 5 hours and 10 hours. The results indicated significant increase in cortisol and ACTH which parallel with the time of exposure reaching maximum levels at 5 hours, significant increase in glucose, GOT and GPT, especially at 5 hours. Total protein, albumen and urea were significantly decreased, while creatinine and globulin fractions were not changed. Total leukocytic count showed significant increase at 5 and 10 hours which was more clear in 3rd day of exposure to stress. Significant increase in neutrophils, eosinophils appeared and significant decrease in lymphocytes number starting at 0 time, decreasing more at 5 hours especially 3rd day of the experiment. Nonsignificant changes appeared on monocytes number. The lymphocytes blastogenic response to mitogen showed that phytohemoagglutinin [PHA] increased significantly at 0 time reaching highest level at 5 hours, then decreased slightly at 10 hours but was higher than control. Concavalin A [Con. A] decreased significantly at 5 and 10 hours, especially after 3 days, Pokeweed [PW] decreased significantly at 0 time reaching lower level at 5 hours, then increased at 10 hours reaching control level

Effect of bromocriptine [parlodel] on hormonal profile of the adult male albino rats with special reference to changes in histologieal structure of the testes

Bromocriptine [Parlodel] is used for treatment of hyperprolactinemia in men, prolactin related hypogonadism [oligospermia-loss of libido, impotence]. It acts as stimulator for dopamine receptor. In this experiment, 60 adult male albino rats were divided into 3 equal groups. The first kept as control, injected with normal saline. Both the second and third groups were injected once daily with intramuscular [I/M] doses of 10 and 20 mug of bromocriptine dissolved in 0.4 ml of distilled water, respectively. Blood samples were collected after one and two weeks from treatment and plasma were separated and stored at -20C for hormone assay using RIA technique. The results indicated significant increase in testes weight, decrease in plasma levels of prolactin and testicular histamine concentration; while LH, FSH and testosterone were increased significantly with increasing the dose and time of treatment. The histological findings of the testes revealed changes including edema, exploration of seminiferous epithelium which increased after administration of the larger dose [20 mug] for two weeks