Mitochondrial DNA Variability among Some Saudi Arabian Goat Breeds.

Five hundred nucleotides of cytochrome b gene was sequenced for Pakistani, Tihami, Syrian, Masri and Aardi goat breeds inhabiting Saudi Arabia. Based on two computational maximum-parsimony and neighbor-joining methods, the constructed tree clustered the studied breeds into Masri and Tihami in one group and Pakistani and Aardi came basal to this group. Syrian breed came basal to all of the studied breeds. This division was based on a few mitochondrial DNA sites and few sampling size and it therefore needs to be supported in a further molecular study. The goat breeds studied herein did not show any non-synonymous genetic variability when the protein-coding gene of the mitochondrial genome was used as a molecular maker. However, the only mitogenome maker which can show base differences among these breeds was the non-coding displacement loop (d-loop). In conclusion, using the mitochondrial genes, rather than the d-loop, for studying genetic diversity among goat breeds is with no meaning and it is better to use other markers for this purpose.

QT interval prolongation associated with azithromycin/methadone combination / Prolongación del intervalo QT asociada con combinación de azitromicina/metadona

This report documents the occurrence of QT prolongation in a 57-year old man, on methadone replacement therapy, treated with azithromycin for community acquired pneumonia. This case highlights a hitherto unknown drug interaction. In light of ever-increasing use of azithromycin, it is imperative that azithromycin be used with caution in patients who are already on drugs that are known to cause QT prolongation or that cause torsades de pointes.

Este reporte documenta la ocurrencia de la prolongación del intervalo QT en un hombre de 57 años, en la terapia de reemplazo con metadona, tratado con azitromicina por pulmonía adquirida en la comunidad. Este caso destaca una interacción de medicamentos desconocida hasta ahora. En vista del uso cada vez mayor de la azitromicina, resulta absolutamente necesario usarla con precaución en pacientes que ya están bajo tratamiento con medicamentos de los cuales se sabe que causan prolongación del intervalo QT o que causan torsades de pointes.

Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease on and without dialysis

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a newly recognized disease in patients with renal disease. In a recent review, the prevalence of PHT in ESRD patients was reported to be around 40-50%

Aim of the work: To evaluate the prevalence of primary pulmonary hypertension among CKD patients on and without dialysis and to compare clinical, hemodynamic, and metabolic variables among patients with and without PH to search for possible etiologic factors

Patients and methods: Our study included 99 CKD patients; 65 patients on hemodialysis, 12 on peritoneal dialysis and 22 on conservative management. Detailed medical history, examination, and complete laboratory investigations were obtained. Systolic PAP, EF% and cardiac output were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography and AVF flow by Doppler ultrasound

Results: A high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension was demonstrated among 27 patients [41.53%] receiving long-term hemodialysis with a mean systolic PAP of 49.33 +/- 9.18 mmHg; as well as in two patients [16.66%] receiving peritoneal dialysis 43 +/- 1.41 mmHg, and in five patients [[22.72%] receiving conservative management 44.8 +/- 5.89 mmHg

Conclusion: This study demonstrated a high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension among patients with CKD on and without dialysis. The prevalence was highest among patients with ESRD receiving long-term hemodialysis [41.53%] especially in patients with older age, longer duration of dialysis treatment, higher AV fistula flow, cardiac output

Prevalence of preterm labor in Almukalla MCH Hospital, Hadhramout, Yemen

Prelerm labor remains a major obstetric problem because of the high incidence of neonatal mortality or long term handicapped associated with it. Analyzing preterm labor can help to identify factors which lead to preterm labor and help to prevent it. To find out the incidence of preferm labor [PTL] in Almukalla MCH hospital .Yemen to find out the relation of maternal age, parity, gestational age, sex, etiological factors and mode of deliveries to preterm labor, and to assess the main maternal risk factors associated with preterm labor. It is an observational analytical retrospective study done in the period from January l[st] 2007- December 3l[st] 2007. Questionnaire was performed to document the details of labor. Data entry and analysis was done by using SPSSv11 software computer program. There were 175 patients with PTL out of 4415 deliveries in 2007, including 9 twin pregnancies and one triple pregnancy. The incidence of PTL was [4.21%]. There were only 35 mothers under the age of twenty [19.9%], between twenty one to thirty years there were 94 cases [53.7%], and between thirty one to forty five years or more, there were 46 cases [26.4%]. 58 cases were primigravidae [33.1%] and 117 multigravidae [66.9%]. Sixty one cases of these PTL had gestational age of less than 28 weeks [34.8%], between 29-32 week there were 42 cases [24%] and between 33-36 week there were 72 cases [41.2%].Caesar-ean section [CS] was done for 34 cases [19.4%], and the remaining 141 [80.6%] cases were delivered vaginally. The most common cause of CS was placenta pre via centralis. The cause of PTL was unknown in most of the cases 77 cases [44%]. Male babies were 79 [42.47%], and female babies were 107 [57.53%]131 cases [70.43%] of neoborn babies have body weight under 2 kg, and 55 case [29.57%] had body weight more than 2 kg. The rale-of preterm labor in Almukalla MCH hospital is 4.21%. The highest rate was among multigravida with the age between 21-30 years. The most common gestational age of preterm labor was 33-36 weeks. The cause of preterm labor was unknown in; 77 cases [44%]. Most of the cases were delivered vaginally except 34 [19.4%] cases who underwent CS. Placenta previa centralis is the most common cause of CS

Bleeding post coronary artery bypass surgery: Clopidogrel-Cure or culprit?

Clopidogrel, in addition to aspirin, has become a common treatment of acute coronary syndrome and for stent thrombosis prevetion, when given before precutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. However, some patients turn out to have surgical coronary artery disease and are sent for coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] where the irreversible effect of aspirin and clopidogrel on platelet function becomes a concern. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of preoperrative use of clopidogrel in bleeding complications after CABG. A total of 462 patients who underwent CABG between 2001 and 2003 were studied as a retrospective cohort. Comparison was made between patients who had taken clopidogoral within 7 days of surgery [n=162], and those who were not exposed to clopidogeral [n=300]. Chest tube output and bleeding index [a modified TIMI criteria], were primary outcomes measured. Our data showed that patients taking clopidogrel within 7 days of surgery have a higher bleeding index than those who were not exposed to the drug [p=0.024]. Similarlly, chest tube output was significantly higher in those who were exposed to clopidogrel within 7 days compared to those not taking clopidogrel [p=0.01]. To further dissect this rela tionship, we divided our population into three categories. We found that patients taking clopidogrel within 3 days prior to CABG [immediate exposure] have a higher bleeding index and TIMI major bleeding than either patients taking the drug between 3 and 7 days [recent exposure] or patients not exposed to clopidogrel at all [p=0.009] and 0.03 respectively for inter-groups comparsion]. The same was true for chest tube output [p=0.05 and 0.01 respectively]. Clopidogrel increased the risk of post-CABG bleeding if taken within three days prior to surgery but not if taken before that

clinical significance of luteal support therapy in the stimulate cycle following the transfer of superovulated embryos

Ovulation induction by gonadotropin in in-vitro fertilization [IVF] program results in luteal phase defect [LPD]. Luteal support therapies are considered to be important treatment to support the implantation of transferred superovulated and IVF embryos. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect luteal support protocols [LSP] on embryo implantation of 2-cell, 4-cell, and 8-cell and morulae following superovulation and embryo transfer as an animal model for human embryo transfer. Mature healthy hamsters were superovulated by human menopausal gonadotropin [hMG] and human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG]. Embryo transfer was performed on day 6 of the cycle. The LSP consisted of 0.04 mg progesterone [P]/day, injected intramuscularly [LM, protocol one] and 0.04 mg P plus 2.5 international units [I. U.] hCG/72 hours [Protocol two] and 0.04 mg P plus 2.5 IV plus 0.20 mg/ day intraperitoneal injection of aspirin. All the luteal support protocols started from day 5 to day 16 of the cycle. The animals were divided in to a control and treated groups. The control and treated groups were subdivided into subgroups according to embryo developmental stages [2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell and morulae]. Superovulation [SO] caused a significant [P<0.01] increase in the number of morphologically abnormal embryos compared to the control group. The implantation rates of the SO embryos were significantly [P<0.05] decreased compared to the control group. The implantation rates of the 8-cell and morula embryos of the SO group were significantly higher than the 1-cell and 2-cell embryos in protocol's one, two and three. Significantly higher implantation rates of all the embryo stages were observed in protocol three compared to protocols two and one. It was concluded from the results of the study that SO markedly affected luteal function of the corpus luteum and reduced embryo implantation. Luteal support protocols particularly supplementation of progesterone with HCG and aspirin resulted in significant improvements in the implantation of 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell and morula embryos

correlative study of angiogenesis extent and expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 with upgrading and myometrial invasion in endometrial endometrioid carcinoma

Changes in angiogenesis and expression of extracellular matrix-degrading enzymes have been substantiated during tumor changeover and progression. This study was carried out on 60 retrospective endometrial endometrioid carcinoma [EEC] cases in addition to 15 normal endometrial biopsies as controls. EEC cases were grouped according to both histological grade [G], from G1 to G3, and the depth of myometrial [M] invasion, from M1 to M3. The study investigated all cases immunohistochemically to determine their microvessel number and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 [MMP-9] and showed significantly high counts in EEC as a whole over the control endometria [P < 0.001]. Moreover counts of the G1 group overlapped those of the control endometra, increased significantly [P < 0.01] in the G2 and even more in the G3 group. G3 cases, in particular, displayed most microvessels widely scattered in the tumor tissue, in close association with tumor cells and as winding and arborized tubes, often dilated in microaneurysmatic segments. The counts also increased in M2 and M3 [P < 0.001] while those of the M1 group overlapped the counts of control endometria. Expression of MMP-9, evaluated as percentages of positive cases, revealed that the overall EEC cases gave a significant increase [P < 0.01] over the normal control endometria. Also, the frequencies of expression were significantly increased with the histologic grade [P = 0.01] and with the depth of myometrial invasion [P = 0.08]. The increases for MMP-9 were more evident on transition from G2 to G3 than from G1 to G2. The relationship to the depth of invasion revealed that the increases for MMP-9 were found at each depth, mostly on transition from M2 to M3. By contrast, only two of the control biopsies [13.5%] expressed few MMP-9. In EEC, MMP-9, as well, was, expressed by the host stromal cells. These data suggest that angiogenesis and degradation of extracellular matrix occur simultaneously with EEC upgrading and advancing depth of invasion. Also, they suggest that EEC cells and some host stromal cell populations cooperate in the tumor progression

Argyrophilic proteins of the nucleolar organizer region in bladder tumors

The introduction of a simple one - stage silver staining technique that identifies nucleolar organizer regions - associated proteins has been adapted and applied to paraffin sections, and used to examine changes in nucleolar organizer region numbers in a variety of benign and malignant conditions. In the current study Argyrophilic proteins of NOR's were studied in 32 Consecutive patients wit bladder tumor, while there is a statistical separation between normal, inflammatory, dysplastic and neoplastic urothelium

Fine needle aspiration cytology versus histopathology in diagnosing lymph node lesions

Fine needle aspirates [FNA] of superficial lymph nodes were obtained from 150 patients complaining of lymphadenopathy. Cytological findings were analysed in correlation with the corresponding histopathological diagnosis of the same excised nodes. Benign lesions were found in more than half of the patients [55.3%], the majority of which were nonspecific reactive hyperplasia followed by tuberculous lymphadenitis. Lymphomas constituted the main pathology in malignant involvement [26.0%], while metastatic lesions formed 16.7% and leukaemia 2.0%. The results of FNA compared favourably with those of tissue biopsies, with an accuracy rate of 89.6% for malignant lymphadenopathy. The appropriate use of FNA may obviate the need for an open biopsy

Lymphadenopathy: a histopathologic study of 1145 biopsies

In a retrospective study, 1145 lymph node biopsies of patients with lymphadenopathy were examined histologically in Saddam's Medical City Teaching Hospital Laboratoties from 1986-1990. Granulomatous lymphadenitis of tuberculous origin is still a common cause of lymphadenpathy [16.1%], only preceeded by the group of inflammatory/reactive diseases which constituted 31.5%. Primary malignant lymphomas both Hodgkin's disease and Malignant Non- Hodgkin's Lymphoma were detected in 22% of the total with nearly equal incidence [10.9% and 11.1%] respectively. Although the study excluded regional lymph nodes that were attached to surgical specimens of resected malignant tumors, the incidence of metastatic malignancies presented as lyrnphadenopathy were still high and constituted 20.3%. Our results were consistent with similar Iraqi studies