Evaluation and clinical correlation of bone marrow angiogensis and level of serum angiogenic factors in acute leukemia

In this study serum angiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], hepatocyte growth factor [HGF] and tumour necrosis factor a [TNF a]] and cellular angiogenic factors [VEOF and VEGF-R2] were studied in 50 newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients, they were 24 ALL and 26 AML patients. The correlations of the studied angiogenic factors to each other and to the patients' survival and disease outcome were studied. During the follow-up period of 6 months, 22 patients died and 28 patients remained alive from whom 11 patients were refractory and 17 patients achieved complete remission. On comparison between pretreatment concentration levels of measured serum angiogenic factors [VEOF, TNF-alpha and HOF] in ALL, AML and the control group, all the comparisons were statistically significant [p<0.0001, <0.0001 and 0.02 1 respectively]. All serum markers were higher in AML group than control group, but only VEOF showed statistically significant elevation [p<0.0001], while in ALL patients, all markers were significantly higher than control group [p=0.01]. When comparing ALL and AML cases according to cellular angiogenic factors detected by immunocytochemistry, cellular VEGF-R2 was slightly higher in ALL group, while cellular VEGF was slightly higher in AML group. The comparisons were statistically non-significant for both angiogenic factors. As regards response to therapy, in ALL, cases with high sVEGF showed a statistically significant lower rate of complete remission than cases with low sVEGF [p=0.041]. The same results were obtained for AML but the comparison did not reach a significant level [p=0.082]. Serum VEOF was the only reliable marker to predict relapse in ALL [p=0.009] and AML [p=0.049]. On comparing serum VEGF to the outcome in ALL, high sVEGF cases showed a statistically significant higher rate of death than low sVEGF cases [prO.05], while in AML, the same results were obtained but the comparison did not reach a significant level. As regards the survival time, cases with low sVEGF level showed higher mean survival and 6-month survival than cases with high sVEGF level p=0.03]. A significant negative correlation was detected between serum VEGF and serum TNF-a [correlation coefficient [r]=-0.642, p<0.0001]. Conclusion: Serum angiogenic factors [VEGF, TNF-alpha and HOF] are markedly increased in cases of acute leukemia compared to normal controls. Cases with high sVEGF showed higher rate of death than cases with low sVEGF, so its targeting may provide a potent novel therapeutic approach in acute leukemias. VEGF may also be useful as a new prognostic factor and a predictor of relapse in different types of acute leukemia. Further studies with larger number of patients and longer duration of follow-up are recommended to throw more light on the significance of other angiogenic factors in relation to acute leukemia

Effect of ophthalmic irrigating solutions on biophysical properties of lens, aqueous and vitreous humours

In a series of comparative studies to decide which of BSS plus, BSS or Ringer's lactate irrigating solution is mimic as closely as possible to aqueous humor and vitreous body, so as to maintain normal ocular metabolism and integrity of the ocular functions which should be preserved. New Zealand mature rabbits were used to study the effect of mentioned irrigating solutions on the molecular weight distribution and electrophoretic mobilities of lens aqueous and vitreous humors after 72 hours of the eye in vivo irrigation. The presented study showed a significant fluctuations in the molecular weight distribution and electrophoretic mobilities of BSS irrigating solution, while it is nearly the same profile as in the normal control group in case of eyes irrigated with BSS plus and Ringer's lactate solutions. From the results of the presented study and that of previous research of our collegues, it is preferable to use Ringer's lactate solution widely as it is cheaper and safer to the eye than the other maintained studied irrigating solutions

Incidence of manifest squint among school children in Mansoura

Among 20,124 primary school children examined in the various primary schools in the Eastern district of Mansoura. We found 202 cases of Manifest Concomitant squint [2%]. The highest frequency of squint was at the age of six years [40.1%] and the incidence decreases during the school life to [7.9%] at the age of 12 years. The commonest type of deviation was the convergent type representing 84.1 of all cases. There is no significant difference between girls and boys in this work, as we found that the boys 102 [50.5%] and girls 100 [49.5%]. Most of the case with convergent squint were hypermetropic of moderate degree ranging from + 2.5 D. to 4.0 D. whereas in divergent squint 12 cases were hypermetropic and 20 cases were myopic