Hepatitis C among primary school children in Sharkia Governorate

One hundred and fifty school children including 79 males and 71 females with ages ranging 6-12 years [8.7 +/- 2.3] and of different residences and social standards in Sharkia Governorate were included in this study. All of the children were subjected to history taking, complete clinical examination; liver function tests, ELISA testing for HCV antibodies [IgG] and RT-PCR for detection of HCV-RNA. The family members of children positive for HCV antibodies or RT-PCR were investigated for HCV infection. It was found that the seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 3/150 [2%] as determined by ELISA. While PCR revealed only 1/150 [0.7%] positivity for HCV-RNA. Sex and age of children were not significant risk factors in relation to seropositivity of HCV antibodies. Blood transfusion and needle stick injuries were highly significantly associated with seropositivity for HCV antibodies, while surgical operations were not significantly related to seropositivity. In conclusion, HCV infection is not uncommon, however, it doesn't seem to play a major role in hepatitis among primary school children in Sharkia Governorate. ELISA is a good negative screening test in low risk groups. Further studies on large number are recommended to confirm these results

role of hepatitis C virus in chronic hepatitis among children in Sharkia Governorate

To shed some light on the magnitude of HCV in causing chronic hepatitis and its relation to autoimmunity in children; this study was conducted on 45 children. They were divided into three groups. The first group included 15 children with chronic hepatitis who were exposed to repeated blood transfusion due to thalassemia [risky group]. The second group included 15 children with chronic hepatitis without exposure to repeated blood transfusion [non risky group]. The third group included 15 healthy children. All of the children are sex and age matched with ages ranging from 5 to 15 years [mean +/- SD 9.3 +/- 3.5] and they were of different residence and social standards in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. All of the children were subjected to detailed history, full medical examination, liver function tests, abdominal sonography, direct Coomb's test, HbsAg, HCV 3[rd] generation ELISA and PCR in serum. Liver tissue PCR and pathology were studied in chronic hepatitis cases. Antinuclear antibody [ANA] and liver kidney microsomal antibody [LKM[1]] were done in HCV positive cases and in cases suspected to be autoimmune hepatitis. We have found that, 10 out of the 30 patients [33.3%] with chronic hepatitis had HCV infection. HCV positive cases were significantly higher in risky group [8/15] 53.3% than in non risky group [2/15] 13.3% [P<0.05], Twenty percent of HCV positive cases had ANA. However, these cases showed lower percentage of symptomatology and cirrhosis compared to autoimmune ANA positive hepatitis cases. In conclusion, HCV represents the most common cause of chronic hepatitis among children in Sharkia Governorate. HCV has the ability to produce ANA but this does not flare up the autoimmune disease. We recommend more meticulous mandatory blood screening for anti-HCV before transfusion. Also, we recommend routine regular screening for HCV infection in patients with repeated blood transfusion. Widely scaled studies are recommended to confirm our results

strudy on the cardiovascular histaminergic receptors reactivity in experimental diabetes

This work was designed to investigate the reactivity of isolated hearts and aortic strips from normal rabbits and experimentally induced diabetic ones whether nontreated or treated with insulin or glybenclamide.In addition, the effect of cimetidine [H2 - blocker] and pheneramine maleate [HI - blocker] on the isolated rabbit hearts was studied in the 4 different groups.It was found that histamine induced a significant increase in the heart rate in a dose dependent manner in the control group with all doses used, and in the insulin and glybenclamide treated groups in the larger doses [50, 100 ug / ml]. Histamine also induced a significant increase in the amplitude of ventricular contraction in a dose dependant manner in the control and the insulin treated groups in all doses used and in the glybenclamide treated group with doses of 50, 100 ug/ ml but with a great significance In the diabetic group, this increase in the heart rate and the amplitude of ventricular contraction was found to be insignificant, However, there was a great significant reduction in the percentage of change in both parameters when compared to the control group. Histamine induced arrhythmia at a dose of 100 ug in the control, the insulin treated and the glybenclamide treated groups.With respect to the cardiac reactivity to hisamine antagonists, it was found that H2 blockers had a significant reduction in the heart rate and in the amplitude of ventricular contraction in the 4 groups studied without any significant change between them. Concerning the vascular reactivity to different doses of histamine, it was found that histamine induced a dose dependant increase in the tension developed, the time to reach maximum contraction and the time of maintained tone responses of aortic strips trom the 4 groups studied, No significant change was detected between the 4 different groups. However, it was clear that diabetes affected the vascular reactivity of rabbit aortic strips through significant prolongation in the time to reach relaxation in all doses used. In addition, insulin treatment decreased the time to reach relaxation response of the diabetic aortic strips, while glybenclamide treatment decreased it in one dose only, Therefore, it could be concluded that histamine has a positive inotropic and chronotropic effects while H2 blocking drugs have a cardiodepressant properties and that histamine in large doses causes arrhythmia and cardiac dysfunction. The.diabetic rabbit hearts have subnormal responsiveness to histamine stimulation and resist the occurrence of arrhythmia induced by histamine. This diabetic response can be completely normalized by insulin treatment, while glybenclamide treatment improves only the chronotropic response