Urinary iodine and other iodine deficiency indicators in a sample of school-age children in Egypt

Sufficient data relating urinary iodine excretion in children to other iodine deficiency indicators are lacking in Egypt. We assayed urinary iodine concentration and serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], thyroglobulin, free triiodothyronine [T3] and free tetraiodothyronine in 99 school-aged Egyptian children. Goitre was found in 25 children. Median urinary iodine concentration was 70 micro g/L. We found mild iodine deficiency [50-99 micro g/L] in 60.6% of the children and moderate to severe deficiency [< 50 micro g/L] in 31.3%.The latter showed a high frequency of goitre and elevated mean serum free T3, TSH and thyroglobulin levels. Individual urinary iodine excretion rates vary, therefore these other indicators could help in screening for iodine deficiency at an individual level, especially in moderate to severe deficiency

Effect of pulsed electric field on the vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] level in human C.N.S tumor cells

Tumor angiogenesis is an important step for tumor growth and metastasis. There are specific growth factors operating in this process such as VEGF. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of single exponential electric field pulse of different intensities from 0.3 kv/cm to 1.65 kv/cm and 1 ms duration on the VEGF level in the cultured human C.N.S tumor cells. VEGF level is determined by Enzyme Immunoassay [EIA] technique in cell culture and its supernatant. The results showed that high intensity electric field pulse decrease VEGF level in the cells. Also, it was found that the rate of growth of tumor cells decreased with field intensity elevation as indicated by morphological observations