Early prediction of neuropathic wrist arthropathy in Egyptian leprotic patients

Leprosy is a chronic dermatologic and neurologic condition caused by the organism, an obligate intracellular acid fast bacillus with a predilection for dermal and neural cells [John, 2006]. We investigated the early prediction of the neuropathic wrist arthropathy in Egyptian leprotic patients. Thirty six leprotic patients [26 males and 10 females] their ages ranged from 15-60 years with mean [44.83+16.75] and the disease duration ranged from 1-35 years with mean [15.70+4.70] in addition to thirty control subjects[22 males and 8 females] their age ranged from 12-58 years with mean [32.03+11.99] were included in the study. Careful history examination with a special attention to family history, Neurological examination and Rheumatological and Radiological examination of both wrists joints, ESR, CBC, RF, urine and stool analysis and kidney and liver functions. The wrist joints are highly significantly involved in the patients group than in the control group with a higher predilection to the sensory impaired patients than the motor impaired patients. We can conclude that the radio carpal joints may be affected by neuropathic arthropathy in leprotic patients with sensory impairment

Effect of weight quality on bone mass in postmenopausal females

Hypothesis: body weight is positively associated with bone mass. Few studies, however, have examined the relative importance of the fat and lean components of body weight for skeletal mass and the findings are contradictory

Objective: this study was performed find out the relative influence of fat and lean mass on bone mineral density [BMD] in postmenopausal females

Methodology: one hundred and twenty post-menopausal females were classified in to four groups: Group [1]: 30 women non-obese with BMI less than 30 and has at least 5 years after menopause [YAM]. Group [2]: 30 women non-obese with BMI less than 30 and have at least 10 YAM. Group [3]: 30 women obese with BMI above 30 and has at least 5 YAM. Group [4]: 30 women obese with BMI above 30 and has at least 10 YAM

Results: T score: G3 was significantly higher than that for GI p<0.01, G4 was significantly higher than that for G2 p<0.01. Fat weight: G3 was significantly higher than that for G1 p<0.001, G4 was significantly higher than that G2 p<0.001. Lean weight: G3 was significantly higher than that for GI and p<0.001, G4 was significantly higher than that G2 p<0.001

Conclusion: both lean weight and fat weight have a positive effect on bone density but bone density appears to be affected by lean weight more than fat weight

Fecal lactoferrin, fecal leukocytes and occult blood in the diagnostic approach to childhood invasive diarrhea

This study was carried out on 60 children with acute diarrhea, from pediatric department faculty of medicine, A-Azhar University, from November 2002 to Jne 2003, their mean age was [3+1.5] years. To evaluate the value of fecal lactoferrin, [F.LF] fecal leukocytes [F.L] and fecal occult blood [O.B] in the diagnostic approach to childhood invasive diarrhea. Our results showed that 20% had campylobacter, 16.5% with shigellosis 9.2% had E. Coli, 6.6 with Salmonellosis, 9.2% had entamebia, 5% with giardia, 3.3% with cryptosporidium and 31.6% with no pathogen. Also our results revealed the sensitivity of individual tests was 97.12%, 78.7% and 68.95% in FL.F, O.B and F.L. respectively. On the other hand the negative predictive values in combined tests was 100% in both FLF+FL and FLF + OB while it was 87.9% in FL+OB. So FLF showed a greater over all sensitivity than FL or OB for detecting invasive pathogen and the combination of FLF or FL and of FL.F or OB or both yielded sensitivities and negative predictive value close to 100%. Conclusion FLF was the most accurate index test, it may be viewed as the screening test of choice to avoid expensive stool culture in the diagnostic approach to invasive diarrhea