Role of some inflammatory mediators in asthmatic children below 5 years of age

This study was carried on 38 children [24 boys and 14 girls] between 2 and 4 years of age suffering from wheezy chest. In addition, 15 age matched apparently normal children were included in the study serving as normal control group. Eosinophilic cationic protein [ECP], sICAM-1 and E-selectin were measured during both acute exacerbation and stable condition. The results showed that ECP concentration was significantly higher in children with acute wheezy exacerbation than either in stable condition or in control group. Total blood eosinophilic count showed nonsignificant increase in children with acute wheezy exacerbation than either children in stable condition or in control group. Serum sICAM-1 was significantly higher during acute exacerbation of asthmatic children than those in stable condition or control group. The results of E-selectin showed a significant increase during acute exacerbation of asthmatic children than either in stable condition or in control group. E-selectin level in children in stable condition also showed significant difference when compared to control group. These results suggested that these parameters play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthmatic children below 5 years of age

dynamic link between the integrity of the immune system and zinc status in sickle cell anemia

This study was carried on 30 patients, with sickle cell anemia to evaluate the role of zinc status in relation to cell mediated immunity in terms of T lymphocytes and its subjects, CD4, CD8 and IL-2. Serum zinc level was significantly low in children with sickle cell anemia than in the control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell [PBMC] zinc level showed significant decrease in the studied cases than the control group. T-lymphocytes showed significant decrease in count of CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio, but nonsignificant decrease in CD8, low in children with sickle cell anemia compared to control group. IL-2, showed significant decrease in patients with sickle cell anemia when compared with control group. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that zinc deficiency is evident among patients with sickle cell anemia and it has significant impact on the immune system integrity and could greatly alter host defense systems leading to increase in opportunistic infections and mortality rates that observed in these children

T lymphocyte subpopulation and function in children with shigellosis

This study was carried on sixty-two children aged from 12 to 60 months, attending TABARAK pediatric hospital with acute dysentery [visible blood in the stool and the presence or absence of fever]. Of the 62 children enrolled in this study, 43 had shigella dysentery 1 [S, dysentery] infection and 19 children matched for age and without any infection as control group, [NI; n= 19]. Children with S. dysentery were divided into 3 groups: those who had HUS or leukomoid reactions [complicated shigellosis, CS; n=25], those who developed complications following enrollment [subsequently complicated shigeliosis, SCS; n=6], and those who had no complication [uncomplicated shigellosis, US; n=12]. T lymphocyte subpopulation and function was evaluated for these children

RESULTS showed that children with SCS differed from other groups in as follows: [i] the number of CD3 and CD4 was lower compared to NI children [P<0.05]. [ii] CD4/CD8 ratio was lower compared to US children [PO.05] and NI children [PO.05]. [iii] The level of DTH response was lower than this in children with US [PO.05]. Three to five days after enrollment, the number of CD4 cells increased in children with SCS, The results showed that T lymphocyte phenotypes and function were altered prior to development ofcomplication in children with shigellosis, and once complications develop, the pattern of alteration changes. Whether these alterations have a role in predicting complications or whether they reflect events underlying the development of complications remains to be elucidated

Prognostic significance of some immunological parameters in wheezy baby syndrome

This study was carried on 40 infants [with age range from 6 - 20 months] suffering from wheezy chest [group 1] to evaluate some risky factors as predictive parameters for developing future asthma in these infants and to assess the value of two different lines of treatment. Twenty apparently normal infants were included in the study as control group [group 2]. Results showed that serum IgE was significantly high in group 1 before treatment [p < 0.05], IgG and complement fraction [C1q] showed no significant difference from the control [P > 0.05]. Absolute Eosinophilic Count [ABE] and Migration Inhibition Factor [MIF] were significantly high in group 1 [P < 0.05]. Treatment with Sodium Chromoglycate improved the condition better than treatment with Dexamthasone, however total IgE, ABE count and MIF were still higher in patients than normal even after one year follow up. These results suggest that risky factors are useful parameters for assessing wheezy infants and have a predictive value for developing future asthma. Unresponsiveness to treatment could be attributed to genetic factors or other positive family history

Antioxidant enzymes activity and neutrophil phagocytic function in patients with acute and chronic viral hepatitis

A disturbance in the delicate oxidant-antioxidant balance results in many pathophy-siologic conditions. In an attempt to clarify the antioxidants status in cases with viral hepatitis, we have measured the activity of 2 important antioxidant enzymes namely superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione reductase [GR] in erythrocytes and investigated the neutrophil phagocytic function [phagocytic and lytic indices] in 23 patients with acute viral hepatitis, 21 patient with chronic viral hepatitis and twelve healthy subjects with matched age and sex. Patients with hepatitis showed a significantly decreased activity of both SOD and GR when compared to the control. Furthermore, the activity of these enzymes in acute hepatitis was significantly lower than in chronic hepatitis. The neutrophil phagocytic function was significantly suppressed in both groups of patients when compared to control. Results might point to a relationship between accumulation of free radicals and hepatitis