Study of oesophageal mucin in cases of reflux oesophagitis

The aim of this work was to study the possible qualitative changes in the oesophageal mucins in the presence of reflux oesophagitis. Twenty patients suffering from reflux oesophagitis as well as ten control subjects were included in this study. All patients and controls were subjected to: full history taking, thorough clinical examination, blood picture, barium swallow and upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy with multiple biopsies to emphasize a greater diagnostic yield. These specimens were fixed in 10% formalin solution and paraffin sections were made. Staining was then done by 3 techniques i.e. Haematoxylin and Eosin, Alcian blue and combined Alcian blue and Periodic Acid Schieff technique. Heart burn was the prevelant complaint in patients with GERD [gastroesophageal reflux disease]. This work revealed a statistically significant correlation between hiatus hernia and reflux oesophagitis. [P<0.05]. Alteration of the mucin pattern of the lower oesophagus has been definitely proved in this study. In the present work where was a significant correlation between the predominance of sulfomucin variety and the presence of reflux oesophagitis [P<0.05]. The predominance of sulfomucin variety was also statistically significant over the neutral variety in reflux oesophagitis patients

Does helicobacter have a role in lower end oesophagitis?

This work was done to study the relation of Helicobacter pylori with oesophagitis either accompanied or not with reflux. Twenty patients with oesophagitis on clinical, endoscopical, and histopathological basis were included in this study. They all underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy where multiple biopsies were taken from the lesion and above the lesion for culture of Helicobacter pylori and for histopathological examination 16 patients were found to suffer of reflux oesophagitis while 4 had lower end oesophagitis. Helicobacter pylori could be isolated from 3 out of the patients with reflux oesophagitis. Two of these 16 patients were having Barren's oeophagus and in one of these two cases the organism could be isolated. The organism, on the other hand, could not be isolated from patients with lower end oesophagitis or in biopsies taken away from the lesion in both groups. From these results we can conclude that there is no definite relation between Helicobacter pylori and oesophagitis whether accompanied with reflux or not

Serum alpha1 antitrypsin level in rheumatic fever with and without residual valvular lesions

Serum level of alpha 1 antitrypsin was estimated in 60 patients who developed rheumatic fever, in addition to 10 normal persons with mached age and sex [regarded as control]. The sixty patients were divided into two groups. The first group were 20 patients with previous history of rheumatic fever but with no evidence of residual cardiac affection, and a group II of 40 patients with rheumatic cardiac affection [valve lesions]. The mean alpha 1 antitrypsin [234.1 +/- 71.95 mg/dl] for group 1 of patients was lower than that for control group [250.1 +/- 11.46 mg/dl], yet the change was not statistically significant. The mean alpha 1 antitrypsin for group II of patient was [306.3 +/- 83.63 mg/dl] which was statistically significantly higher than that of both control group and the patients of group 1