Evaluation of serum alkaline phosphatase as a biochemical indictor of growth impairment in parasitically infected children

In this study, the response of alkaline phosphatase as a biochemical indicator of impaired growth in parasitically infected Egyptian children was evaluated. To achieve this goal, fifty children infected with parasites and twenty normal healthy children were recruited for this study from the Health Unit of Kata Village, Giza Governorate. Their age ranged from 7 to 12 years. All children were subjected to clinical examination, and to anthropometric measurements that included weight and height. Blood sample was taken from each child and was tested for liver enzymes as aspartate aminotransferase [GOT], and alkaline phosphatase [ALP], and for albumin level. The parasitically infected children were further classified according to type of parasite into giardiasis, amoebiasis and ascariasis. Results of this study showed that the infected children, compared to normal controls, had a highly significant reduction in mean weight/age and height/age. Giardiasis associated cases with least Z-score for weight/age and height/age, ascariasis and amoebiasis come next to that respectively. GOT, GPT and ALP serum levels shown in both parasitically infected and control groups were within normal ranges. A gradual decline in ALP mean level was demonstrated, going from cases with high Z-scores [category 3] for both weight and height/age to those with lowest Z- scores [category 1]. Similar observation was well shown for albumin levels in the three categories. This work demonstrated how the type of parasite is implicated in producing a state of malnutrition. It was well showed that alkaline phosphatase could be used as a significant biochemical indicator for growth impairment

Study of the DPT adverse reactions in some Egyptian children

A prospective study of adverse effects of 728 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and whole cell pertussis vaccine [DPT] was performed in 226 children observed longitudinally from 2 months to 18 months of age. Compliance for completing a clinical observation form in 48 hours following injections was > 99%. Fever, local reactions or adverse adverse behavioral effects were described in association with > 95% of DPT closes. No conclusion, hypotonic hyporesponsive episode, encephalopathy or temperature > 40.5C occurred. Local inflammatory effects occurred maximally in the first 6 hours following vaccine but fever peaked later. There was no interrelationship between occurrence of local reactions and fever. These data suggest that age of the infants has a major effect on the type and rate of adverse clinical events