Comparison between prostaglandin in gingival inflammation in diabetics and non-diabetics

In this study, the level of prostaglandin in gingival tissue extract obtained form diabetic and non-diabetic individuals suffering from severe gingival inflammation was estimated using prostagl and ins radioimmunoassay technique. The patients were classified into 3 groups [non-diabetics, non-insulin dependent diabetic patients and insulin-dependent diabetic patients], all had the same degree of gingival inflammation as assessed clinically by [GI] and histopathologically. All patients were subjected to full mouth debridement one month prior to any procedure. Tissue biopsies were obtained for histopathological examinations and for measuring level of PG in tissue extract. The results demonstrated a highly significant increase in PGs in diabetic patients comparing with non-diabetics, also clinical evaluations revealed a significant increase in gingival bleeding in diabetics. Chronic hyperglycemia may be responsible for exaggerated production of PGs and for microvascular changes of gingival tissue

Sonographic findings that could explain resistant ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis

75 patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites classified into 2 groups. Group I included 50 patients with resistant ascites and group II included 25 patients with responding acsites were the subject of this work. The liver was significantly smaller in group I. Creatinine clearance and serum Na were significantly lower in group I. Serum alkaline phosphatase and alpha fetoprotein were significantly higher in group I. Portal vein thrombosis was diagnosed in 4 patients of group I [8%] compared with one patient of group II [4%]. HCC was detected in 6 patients of group I [12%] and in none of group II patients. Ascitic fluid was positive for acid fast bacilli in one patient of group I. Culture was positive in 4 patients of group I, E. coli in 3 and Staph. aureus in one, compared with none of group II. The study stressed the importance of ultrasonography in detection of the cause of resistance of ascites and in the evaluation and regular follow-up of patients with liver cirrhosis

Revalence of anti-hepatitis C and hepatitis B among patients with viral hepatitis in Egypt

Serum sample of 70 patients with viral hepatitis without obvious parenteral routes of viral transmission were tested for anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies [HCV] and hepatitis B virus markers [HBV]. Overall prevalence of anti-HCV was 17.1% and for any anti-HBV markers 64.2%. anti-HCV was more likely to be positive in subjects positive for any HBV marker [20% of subjects positive for HBV marker had anti-HCV antibodies]. Anti-HCV antibodies was positive in 21% hepatitis surface antigen positive patients. These results suggest that HCV and HBV may have similar routes of spread in the community and anti-HCV might be a clinical index of active HCV infection

Protein C values in young patients with acute myocardial infarction

Protein C is a recently described regulator of frinbrinolysis. Protein C was assayed in 20 young patients with acute myocardial infarction and 10 healthy controls. The mean protein C value was significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction [137% +/- 17.8] than controls [86.4% +/- 6.7].The increase in protein C after myocardial infarction counteracts the increase in procoagulatory factors such as factor VII and fibrinogen, thus maintains an equilibrium between coagulation and fibrinolysis

Changes in serum K+ in asthmatic subjects during exercise

Adrenergic mechanisms modulate exercise-induced changes in serum potassium [K+] concentration. Asthmatic subjects had impairment of K + regulation during exercise suggesting that their adrenergic function is impaired. We measured serum K+ and PEF in 25 healthy controls and in 25 asthmatics pre-exercise, at peak exercise and 10 min. post-exercise. Resting K+ was normal for both groups. During exercise, K+ increased in both groups. The values in the asthmatic group, however were higher than controls values. After exercise, K+ returned to baseline in control subjects but remained elevated in asthmatics, supporting the suggestion that their adrenergic function is impaired. The possibility arises that the asthmatics inability to handle an added K+ load accounts for exercise induced bronchoconstriction causing an increase in serum K+, which has recently been shown to potentiate cholinergic activity in the airways

Immunoregulatory T cells in human toxoplasmosis

The quantitative alterations in T lymphocyte subsets as well as B lymphocytes in peripheral blood were studied in 22 patients with Toxoplasma infection using the monoclonal antibodies technique. No changes were found to be associated with infection with the parasite per se [latent infection]. Patients with lymphadenopathy showed marked and significant changes in T cells. Those during the acute phase showed an elevation of suppressor cells and a drop in helper cells leading to a reversed helper: suppressor [H/S] ratio, while non acute cases showed only a reduction in helper cells. The results indicate that the expansion of suppressor cells may probably have a role in determining the severity of infection and may be correlated to the time course of the disease. A depletion in B lymphocytes was occasionally encountered indicating that a high titre of specific antibodies is not always associated with acute toxoplasmosis

Augmented hageman factor and prolactin titres in patients with acute myocardial infarction

High titres of prolactin and increased Hageman factor coagulant activity was observed in 18 patients with acute myocardial infarction. There is a direct correlation between plasma prolactin titre and coagulant activity of Hageman factor. These data support the evidence in animal models that prolactin can raise Hageman factor titre. Possibly by increasing hepatic protein synthesis. Whether an elevated coagulate activity of Hageman factor plays a role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis in myocardial infarction is uncertain

Drug abusers as high risk group for AIDS in Egypt

This study was performed on 26 male parentral drug abuses with an age ranging from 25 to 35 years and 18 normal controls. Twenty-five of the addicts had an abnormal sexual behavior, which is an added risk factor in this group. Weight loss, diarrhea, fever, jaundice, chest and skin infections, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and lymph node enlargement were recorded among the majority of drug abusers studied. Furthermore, all of them were suffering from various degrees of anemia, while lymphopenia was manifested in 65%. Hyper-gamma- globulinemia encountered in these addicts could be attributed to polyclonal B-cell activation. There was a reduction in the absolute count of T-cells with a significant decrease in T4 population, leading to depressed helper/suppressor ratio. Eleven addicts were seropositive to HBsAg. Three of them were HTLV III seropositive by ELISA. This showed the role of unsterile needles in addition ot the abnormal sexual behavior in disseminating both the hepatitis virus nd the AIDS agent. From the clinical, hematological and immunological investigations, drug abusers had manifestations simulating those of pre-AIDS or AIDS related complex [ARC]