Educational reform initiative an undergraduate intervention study

Al-Azhar Faculty of Medicine for Girls [FMG], microbiology department designed and implemented a Model Training Program [MTP] throughout the academic year [2006/2007] using some methods and new approaches to promote students courseand maximize their activities. Assess the effect of the MTP in microbiology teaching course on student's self motivation. satisfaction. and on the results of the final examination. During the time of laboratory section each day the students were divided into two groups [60 students in each]. One group attends the laboratory section as usual and the other joins the tutorial class and then they exchanged after one hour. They were subdivided into two groups as a tutorial class teaching. The tutor had divided the group into four subgroups to work as a team. A self administered questionnaire was conducted to assess the students view and attitude towards the MTP. Also, assessment was by comparing the results of the final exam of the intervention year with the previous academic year to evaluate the impact of intervention for MTP reform. The students' satisfaction by the staff was 57.4%, 54.9% by the curriculum and educational program and 48.5% by the way of their assessment. Results of the final exam in both intervention and the previous academic years showed improvement indicators. Failure rate was reduced from 20.8% in the previous academic year to 12.6% in the intervention year. The results obtained indicated that MTP achieved better results and addressed student's need to such intervention. Still there is a chance for improvements in undergraduate medical education and to help students to acquire a self directed style of studying

Occult hepatitis B virus infection in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus related chronic liver disease

Concurrent infections with hepatitis B virus [HBV] and hepatitis C virus [HCV] are increasingly recognized in patients with both acute and chronic hepatitis and the reciprocal influence of dual infection remains controversial. In Egypt, the last decade showed a remarkable decline in HBV infection associated with remarkable rise in HCV infection. This study investigates the prevalence of occult HBV in adults with HCV related chronic liver disease [CLD] to spot lights on its importance on the clinical outcomes. Ninety five patients with HCV related chronic liver disease [median age 50 yrs] were enrolled in this study. Thirty of them were suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]. Sera were tested for HCV antibodies, HCV-RNA [nested RT-PCR], HBV markers [HBsAg, Anti-HBcAb IgM and total, HBeAg] and HBV-DNA [nested PCR for s, c and x regions]. All the studied patients were anti-HCV positive, where 47/95 [49.5%] of them were HCV RNA positive. HBsAg was detected in 25/95 [26.3%] [Overt HBV infection], Total anti-HBc was detected in 52/83 [62.65%], HBV-DNA was positive among 41/95[43.1%] with greatest prevalence for "c" region 39/95 [41%]. HBV DNA positive / HBsAg negative [occult HBV infection] was significantly prevalent in HCV-CLD vs HCC patients[p<0.001], and was found to be significantly increased in those who were HCV RNA positive rather than in HCV RNA negative patients [P< 0.05]. No significant difference was detected between patients with occult or over HBV infection as regard to liver enzymes or Child classification [P>0.05]. Occult HBV infection was found to be significantly increased in HCV related chronic liver disease with [p<0.05]. The high prevalence occult HBV-infection [particularly core DNA] may have clinical implications in the pathogenesis and therapy of HCV induced chronic liver disease. Standardized definition and diagnostic criterion of occult HBV infection are needed for future research to determine its prevalence and clinical significance

Serological status of mumps in non-immunized Egyptian infants

The present study was conducted on 2114 infants divided into different age groups ranging from 6-18 months. All studied infants were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory investigation for semiquantitative measurement of mumps IgG by ELISA technique. The study revealed that maternally acquired mumps seropositivity wanes out gradually reaching its nadir level at the age of 12-13 months. Therefore, infants in this age period have a greater risk to develop mumps infection with either higher morbidity or mortality. Hence, the study recommended that MMR vaccination should be adopted at 12-13 months of age in the expanded program of immunization in Egypt as being the time of waning out of passively acquired mumps IgG

Study of the relation between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric interleukin [8] in patients with chronic liver disease

Helicobacter pylori [H pylori] is a gram negative spirally shaped bacterium. It is known to be the most common important cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer, non ulcer dyspepsia and gastric carcinoma. The frequency and importance of gastric mucosal lesion in patients with chronic liver disease [CLD] have been increasingly recognized in recent years. IL-8 a potent leukocyte chemo-attractant cytokine produced by H-pylori. It promotes polymorphnuclear leucocytes [PMNs] and mononuclear cells [MNCs] accumulation in gastric mucosa.This work aimed to clarify the relation between H pylori and IL-8 production in various chronic liver disease [CLD] lesions. Eighty patients were included in this study, 50 with CLD and 30 dyspeptic patients without CLD. Gastric mucosal biopsies were examined histopathologically for H pylori, cellular infiltration and associated pathology, together with culture of H pylori and assessment of IL-8 level in gastric tissue supernatant. 30/50 [60%] CLD patients,10/15 [66.6%] patients with non gastric dyspepsia, and 14/15 [93.3%] patients with gastric dyspepsia were positive for H pylori. There was no relationship between the prevalence of H pylori and the aetiology of CLD. No significant difference was observed in CLD patients' group as regard to H pylori and Child grading, degree of varices, gastric or liver histopathology. Statistical difference in H pylori prevalence between patients with CLD and those with gastric dyspepsia was significant. IL-8 showed significant increase in H pylori positive vs H pylori negative patients. Positive correlation was found between H pylori density and tissue IL-8 and cellular infiltration. In conclusion the liver status does not play a role in the prevalence of H pylori infection, further studies to investigate the relation between virulent H pylori and IL-8 are needed