New trends in the clinicopathological features of differentiated thyroid cancer in Central Jordan

To investigate the current trends in presentation and distribution of differentiated thyroid cancer [DTC] at the largest referral hospital for endocrine cancers in Central Jordan. We analyzed the clinical features, management and outcome of 110 patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, between 1996 and 2001. Papillary carcinoma was diagnosed in 87 patients [80%], follicular carcinoma in 3 patients [2.7%], Hurthle cell carcinoma in 8 patients [7.3%], medullary carcinoma in 5 [4.5%], and anaplastic carcinoma in 4 patients [3.6%], metastatic cancer in 2 patients and lymphoma in one patient. Time course analysis showed an increasing trend in surgery for thyroid cancer from 28 cases in 1986-1991 to 48 in 1996-2001. As time advanced, the incidence of locally invasive disease and lymph node involvement markedly increased over the last 5 years of the study [from 28-62%]. All patients with follicular carcinoma were diagnosed in the period 1986-1994. After thyroidectomy and a follow up period of 2-15 years, 10 patients died of their disease, 4 of these died within one year from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. The dramatic decline in the incidence of follicular thyroid carcinoma combined with the increase in the advanced forms of thyroid cancer in Central Jordan may suggest a possible environmental factor in thyroid carcinogenesis in this region. We suggest a larger scale studies and steps to investigate the etiologic factors for thyroid carcinogenesis in Central Jordan

Comparison of four methods for the detection of cytomegalovirus antibody and prevalence of cytomegalovirus infection among Jordanian blood donors

Four tests, a latex agglutination test [LA], two enzyme immunoassays [EIA], and an indirect fluorescent antibody [IFA] were compared for the detection of antibody against cytomegalovirus [CMV]. Blood samples that were obtained from 200 healthy Jordanian blood donors were used in this comparison. The latex agglutination test [Becton-Dickinson] was shown to be the best of all tests used, demonstrating a sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of 100%. Abbott Enzyme immunoassay demonstrated high sensitivity [98.9%] but lower negative predictive value [83.3%] than the latex agglutination. Though demonstrating high sensitivity, Eurogenetics EIA and Electronucleonics IFA were less specific [80% and 60% respectively] and had lower negative predictive values [72.7% and 75% respectively]. Moreover, the latex agglutination ranked first in terms of other important considerations such as turnaround time, requirement for equipment, and technical demand. Testing of 598 additional blood samples obtained from healthy Jordanian blood donors by the Latex agglutination test revealed 578 positive samples. This indicates a prevalence of 96.7% of CMV infection among Jordanian blood donors

Effects of diclofenac sodium on the gastric mucosa of the rat: a histological, morphometric and hormonal study

The present histological and hormonal investigation showed that the gastric mucosa of the rat has responded to the oral and parenteral diclofenac treatment by two protective mechanisms. The first of these was a temporary increased production of surface mucus and the second was a squamous metaplasia of the surface epithelium. Both changes were more marked in the orally treated animals. The squamous metaplasia was associated with a significant increase in the number of the parietal cells per unit area. It is suggested that these changes were produced by a direct effect of the drug on the stem cells from which the parietal and epithelial cells were derived or through the effects of gastrin hormone. The antral and serum levels of this hormone were significantly elevated after oral diclofenac treatment

Vasculitis in a young child with adult type Gaucher's disease: a case report and review

Immunological phenomena have been reported in patients with Gaucher"s disease.This is the first reported case of Vasculitis occurring in a child with type I or adult type Gaucher's disease. Possible mechanisms are discussed

Incidence of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus in patients with lymphoproliferative diseases

Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] antibody prevalence and titers were determined in 17 patients with Burkitt's lymphoma [BL], 12 patients with Hodgkin's disease [HD], 48 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia [ALL], 28 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL], seven patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL] and 112 healthy controls. The patients showed increased incidence of high antibody titers to viral capsid antigen [VCA] and EBV early antigen [EA]. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of antibodies to capsid antigen in patients [90%] and in control [86%], but the geometric means of antibody to VCA and to EA were 2.5 to five fold higher in patients than in the control group. The results reflect the high incidence of EBV infection in Jordan