K469E polymorphism of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene in Egyptians with coronary heart disease

The initial step in atherosclerosis is the adhesion of leukocytes to activated endothelial cells mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1]. This study aimed to investigate the association of K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene and soluble ICAM-1 [sICAM-1] serum level with coronary heart disease [HD] in Egyptian subjects. Using a case-control design, we studied 100 patients with CHD, including 73 patients with acute myocardial infarction [MI] and 27 with unstable angina [UA]. The control groups consisted of 50 healthy subjects with normal left ventricular function. All participants were genotyped for the ICAM-1 polymorphism by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] method. Serum sICAM-1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay [ELISA]. In CHD patients, the frequencies of K genotype [KK and EK] were significantly higher when compared to controls [P<.001] and were associated with an increased risk of disease development [OR=3.8, 95% CI: 1.7 to 8.5; P=.001]. K genotype frequencies in patients with MI showed no significant difference when compared to patients with UA [P=.121]. Serum sICAM-1 levels were comparable between CHD patients and controls [P=.37] and between MI and UA patients [P=.23]. There were no significant differences in sICAM-1 levels than women [P=.004]. ICAM-1 gene polymorphism in codon 469 is associated with a risk for CHD development in Egyptian subjects. Serum sICAM-1 is not influenced by this polymorphism and is not necessarily elevated in CHD

effect of temperature on some mechanical properties of zirconia as an implant material

Zirconium oxide has become the subject of dental research in various dental branches. Zirconia ceramics have several advantages over other ceramic materials, due to the transformation toughening mechanisms operating in their microstructure that can give very interesting mechanical properties. The results revealed that the mean value of [flexural, compressive, shear strength, modulus of elasticity and thermal conductivity] were significantly higher in specimens that sintered at 1350 [degree sign] C than that sintered at 1200[degree sign] C

Abnormal iron metabolism in non alcoholic steatohepatitis in Egyptian children and adolescents

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH] is a form of liver disease resembling alcoholic liver disease in a patient who did not consume significant amount of alcohol. Our study is concerned with the relation between NASH and iron level in Serum and liver tissue. Thirty four patients with NASH proved by liver biopsy were the subjects of our study. They were 12 males [35.3%] and 22 females [64.7%] with mean age of 11.6 +/- 6.4 years [range from 8 to 18 years]. The investigations done to all of them included: Fasting and post prandial blood glucose, hepatitis markers, lipid profile, liver function tests, serum iron, total iron binding capacity [TIBC], serum ferritin, prothrombin time and concentration, abdominal ultrasonography, ultrasonography guided liver biopsy and histopathological examination of the specimen. Our results showed elevation of the serum levels of iron total iron binding capacity, serum ferritin and total iron score in 82.4% of our NASH patients. There was no significant difference in the studied iron parameters in different grades of steatosis and in different grades of activity while there was signiticant difference in different stages of fibrosis

Conclusion: In addition to diabetes mellitus lipid abnormalities and obesity, increased iron stores may play an important role in the deveIOpment of NASH and this may be through increased oxidative stress that ultimately leads to fibrosis and iron reduction might be of benefit in the treatment of this disease