Erectile dysfunction in chronic renal failure patients undergoing haemodialysis

In this study, 75 patients were subjected to clinical and laboratory investigations. Age, presence of hypertension, smoking history of ischemic heart disease and duration of dialysis were detected. Hemoglobin level, creatinine level, blood urea, albumin and glucose were evaluated. A control group of 148 healthy males, representing the general Egyptian population, was also included in the study. In view of the observed high prevalence of erectile dysfunction [ED] among hemodialysis [HD] patients, it was suggested that a complete health evaluation of male HD patients should include a discussion about erectile function in the standard clinical care program of patients with renal disease

Some platelet functions in patients with diabetes mellitus and hepatosplenic bilharziasis

Our aim was to study platelet count, adhesiveness and aggregation in patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis and diabetes mellitus. Our material comprised 10 non-ascitic patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis, 7 uncomplicated diabetes mellitus and 8 patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis and diabetes mellitus. 5 apparently normal subjects were taken as a control group. All groups were subjected to through history taking, clinical examination, urine and stool analysis blood picture, bleeding and coagulation times, serum creatinine, serum bilirubin, serum glutamic pyruvic tranaminase, fasting blood sugar; platelet count, adhesiveness and aggregation. Platelet count, adhesiveness and aggregation were decreased in patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis, increased in patients with diabetes mellitus while they were non significantly, changed in patients with hepatosplenic bilharziasis plus diabetes mellitus. So, while diabetic patients should receive antiplatelet drugs like aspirin and dipyridamole; such drugs are contraindicated in patients with hapatosplenic bilharziasis for fear of bleeding and they are not recommended in cases with combined diabetes mellitus and hepatosplenic bilharziasis

Immunoglobulin E in some intestinal parasitic infections

48 patients and 10 control subjects were studied. Their ages ranged from 6.5-60 years. 15 patients were bilharzial; 10 non ascitic and 5 ascitic; 9 patients with ascariasis; 6 patients with oxyuris, 6 withgiradiasis; 6 with H. nana and 6 patients with trichostrongyloides. The control group consisted of 10 apparently normal subjects. All cases were subjected ta thorough history taking, clinical examination, urine and stool analyses, sigmoidoscopy and mucosal biopsy, complete blood picture, ESR and immunoglobin E estimation. There was significant increase in IgE levels in all parasitic infections except in H. nana group. The highly significant elevation was found in ascariasis and bilharzial group [specially the non ascitic cases]. The triad of anemia, raised ESR and high level of IgE may be a feature of some parasitic infections; namely bilharziasrs, ascariasis, oxyuriasis and trichostrongyloides. IgE estimation may be a useful parameter in the diagnosis and follow up of cases with bilharziasis as well as other parasites, higher levels being obtained with ascariasis [which can be excluded by stool analysis] and bilharzial cases where diagnosis is sometimes difficult. As individual parasitic infections were found to raise IgE level, it is expected that mixed parasitic infestations may raise IgE and this may be of diagnostic value and usefulness in follow up of these infections