RESUMEN
Introduction: Helicobacter Pylori is a common bacteria found in the stomach that can cause ulcers and more rarely gastric cancer. There are multiple diagnostic tests that are currently available to detect this microorganism possibly making it difficult for providers to choose the most accurate or inexpensive test. It is important to diagnosis H. pylori in symptomatic patients due to the potential of eliciting a series of pathologic consequences in the extra-gastric regions. These consequences have been studied at length and can include cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders as well as certain digestive disorders such as liver disease
The Aim of this Study: the aim of this study was to evaluate molecular evidence of the presence of Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsy samples, based on analysis of urease A [ureA] gene by real-time polymerase chain reaction [PCR], with the other diagnostic methods including culture, histopathology and rapid urease test [RUT] as invasive tests and serology as a non-invasive test in Sohag University Hospitals
Material and Methods: patients complaining of symptoms of upper gastrointestinal disturbance, at the Sohag University hospital from gastroenterology clinic that were already scheduled for upper endoscopy were eligible for enrollment in the study. At the time of endoscopy, 4 biopsies were collected and used for rapid urease, histology, and culture, PCR respectively, urea breath test performed, Stool and serum samples were tested for the presence of H pylori by using commercially available enzyme-inked immunosorbent assay-based technology [ELISA]
Results: positive result for both histopathology and RUT was used as a gold standard for diagnosis against which, sensitivity and specificity of all performed diagnostic tests were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity of PCR were 96.4% and 95.5% respectively with performance index [accuracy] of 96 % which is comparable to that of histopathology [98%] and higher than those of culture [86%], RUT [88%] and serology [70%]
Conclusion: the PCR based molecular method were apparently high sensitive direct method for detection of H. pylori infection from gastric biopsy specimens when compared to standard histologic examination and rapid urease test
RESUMEN
Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is considered the most common etiology of chronic liver disease in Egypt. It infects immune cells such as B and T lymphocytes, altering their normal functions. Thus liver damage is thought to be the result of these factors that affect the immune response to viral antigens. This study aimed to determine the role of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor [sIL-2R] and cellular interleukin-2 receptor in the hepatitis C virus disease, and to determine whether other cellular markers have any role to play in that process. In addition to assess the relationship between different diagnostic tools for estimating HCV activity, particularly measurement of serum viral load by branched DNA technology. Levels of sIL-2R were measured by ELISA in the sera of 35 chronic liver disease [CLD] patients, 35 asymptomatic hepatitis C virus carriers [ASC] and 15 healthy subjects negative for HCV markers served as normal controls [NC]. Also, we studied peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells [PBMNCs] samples from the study groups for the surface expression of CD7, CD19 and CD25. The mean serum sIL-2R levels were significantly elevated in the CLD group compared to ASC and NC groups [P. value <0.001, <0.001 respectively]. Patients with CLD showed significant increase in both CD7[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly active T lymphocytes] and CD19[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly active B lymphocytes] than other groups. Both patients groups showed decrease in both CD7[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly T lymphocytes] and CD19[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly B lymphocytes] than normal control group. Soluble interleukin -2 receptors [sIL-2R] concentration may be a useful non-invasive surrogate marker of disease activity in HCV infection; high levels of sIL-2R are related to activity of the disease rather than to virus replication