Effect of beta-carotene on murine schistosoma mansoni infection

The major gap of our knowledge of human resistance to schistosomiasis, the identity of effector mechanisms and target stages of parasite life cycle are questions that can be effectively addressed in animal model [Chen and Mott, 1989]. Beta-carotene, is an important micronutrient with anti-oxidant capacity widely distributed in leafy vegetables, carrots, red and yellow fruits [Bendich, 1993]. Flighty mice were included in this study to show the protective effect of beta-carotene on S. mansoni infected mice through parsitological, serological and histopathological parameters. Sacrification of mice was done 9 weeks post infection. Although beta-carotene did not protect any mice from getting S. mansoin infection, yet it reduced worm burden to about 20% and significantly reduced hepatic and intestinal tissue egg load and exert immunomodulatory effect on bilharzial granuloma which was manifest in reduction of mean granuloma diameter, more circumscription, less inflammatory cellular contents. So we recommended, the administration of beta-carotene as an adjuvant with antibilharzial therapy

prevalence of portal hypertensive gastropathy and duodenopathy in some Egyptian cirrhotic patients

This study included 300 individuals classified into three groups: G I included 116 patients with mixed liver pathology [post-viral cirrhosis and post-bilharzial fibrosis], G II included 84 patients with pure post hepatitic viral cirrhosis and G III included 100 healthy individuals of comparable age and sex serving as a control group. Upper endoscopic examination was done for all groups. Gastric varices, gastric congestion and duodenal congestion were detected in 12%, 19.5% and 14.5%, respectively in Gs I and II with statistically significant difference when compared with the controls

Role of hepatitis viruses in egyptian patients with chronic unexplained elevation of serum transaminases

In some patients with persistent alteration of liver enzymes, the cause of [the disturbance cannot be established on the bases of clinical and analytical data. The significance and prevalence of occult viral infections in cryptogenic liver disease remains controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify our lack of knowledge about the exact pathogenic role of known hepatitis viruses in Egyptian patients with chronic unexplained elevation of serum transaminases. Seventy six patients with liver disease of unknown cause were enrolled in this study. In these patients the exact aetiology could not be defined from clinical, biochemical, and serological data. For every patient and before performing the liver biopsy, hepatitis B virus [HBV]-DNA, HCV-RNA and HGV-RNA were assayed in serum by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. Liver biopsies from these patients showed non specific changes in 23.7%, fatty liver changes in 15.8%, chronic hepatitis in 48.7% and mixed cirrhosis in 11.8%. HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA were detected in serum of 11.8% and 32.9% of patients with cryptogenic disease respectively. Only one patient [1.3%] showed positivity for both viral genomes. Also, only one patient [1.3%] was found to be positive for HGV-RNA. Viraemia was found in 38.9% of patients with pathological non-specific changes, in 33.3% of those with fatty liver, in 51.4% of those with chronic hepatitis, and in 66.7% of subjects with mixed cirrhosis. The results of this study highlight the dominance of chronic viral hepatitis over other forms of liver disease in our country. Also, the routine use of PCR test will pick up most of missed cases of viral infection