Foxp3+ T-regulatory cells in myelodyspoastic syndrome

CD4+-, CD25+, Foxp3+ regulatory T cells [Tregs] play a central role in maintaining immune tolerance and their expansion in malignant disease and MDS may lead to the suppression of host anti tumor responses and hence disease progression. Therapeutic application of Tregs in treating cancer and autoimmune diseases is now extensively investigated. Our aim is to investigate the clinical significance of Tregs in MDS correlating it to some laboratory findings. This study was carried out on 35 subjects. 25 patients with confirmed diagnosis of primary MDS [group 1] and 10 healthy controls [group 2], their ages were 55 +/- 11.5. and 53 +/- 10.6 respectively, patients were classified according to the WHO classification into 5 [20%] R.A. with or without ringed sideroblasts, 7[28%] RCMD, 10[40%] RAEB, 3[12%] CMML. Stained Leishman and Prussian blue [peri's reaction] blood and BM smears were examined to diagnose MDS then Conventional cytogenetic analysis and banding using Giemsa stain after BM cells culture on RBMI media for 72 h.Flowcytometric analysis of CD4+, CD25+, foxp3+ regulatory T cells [Tregs] in whole blood was done using FITC anti CD4 and PE anti CD 25 for surface staining then after a permibilization step intracellular staining of Foxp3 using PE anti-human Foxp3 was done to determine the Tregs percent. The mean percent of tregs in RA-RARS group was 1.4% +/- 0.7 which was not statistically significant in comparison to control 1.3 +/- 0.5. In RCMD group tregs were 3.3% +/- 2.1 which was not statistically significant in comparison to control. RAEB group showed tregs percent of 5.4% +/- 1.4 and the difference was significant CMML group showed treg percent of 4.6% +/- 1.16 the difference was statistically significant. There was a significant difference when comparing mean percent of tregs in low risk group with those of intermediate and high risk groups. We also found that cases of MDS with more than 5% blasts had significantly higher tregs percent [5.1 +/- l.l] compared to cases of MDS with less than 5% blasts [2.2 +/- 1.3] in B.M. We found no significant correlation between platlet count and Tregs or WBCs count and Tregs but a highly significant positive correlation was present between presence of more than 5% blasts and Tregs. When correlating Tregs with the risk level of our patients there was significant positive correlation between percent of Tregs and the intermediate risk level and a highly significant positive correlation between percent of Tregs and high risk level. The clinical significance of Tregs and its role in MDS varies from disease stage to another, Tregs expansion is evident in RAEB and CMML. while it is not so in RA/RARS or RCMD suggesting its contribution in development of high risk MDS and disease progression to acute leukemia. Attempts to decrease its number or function may will be one of the effective treatment options. Extensive studies on large number of MDS patients are needed to clear the significance of Tregs in each disease subtype and its possible application as a new treatment modality in MDS

Role of insulin like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] and insulin in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension among Egyptian patients

Insulin like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] and insulin hormone were measured in 62 hypertensive Egyptian patients [46 males and 16[th] to clarify the possible role of each in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension and its complications. Patients age ranged between 30-63 years, with a mean age [48.92 +/- 8.19] and the duration of hypentension ranged between 1-10 years, with a mean [3.74 +/- 2.4]. The data of the patients were compared with 20 healthy individuals, matching in age and sex, as a control group [group I]. The comparison of results of all groups with those of the control group showed that all hypertensive patients, as one group, had a significant increase in the mean value of serum IGF-l [P < 0.001]. Uncomplicated patients [Group II] showed insignificant increase in the mean value of serum IGF-1 [P > 0.19]. However patients with left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH] [group III] showed a significant increase in the mean value of serum IGF [P < 0.001]. Patients with retinopathy [group IV] had insignificant increase of the mean value of IGF-1 [P < 0.27]. In hypertensive patients with both LVH and retinopathy [group V], there was a significant increase in IGF-1 [P < 0.001]. There was also a significant increase in the mean value of serum insulin level of all the studied patient groups [II, III, IV, V], in comparison with those of group I [P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001 respectively]. These results suggest a role of IGF-l and Insulin in the pathogensis of hypertension and LVH. There was insignificant correlation between serum IGF-I and the duration of hypertension. There was a positive correlation between the severity of hypertension and the progression of retinopathy. There was a significant decrease in the mean value of serum IGF-1 in patients treated by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor [ACE inhibitor] compared to those treated by other medication or those without any medication. [P < 0.001]

Pathogenesis of ascites in hepatosplenic shistosomiasis

Twenty two cases with hepatosplenic bilharzial affection in different stages, and 10 normal subjects were studied clinically, biochemically and by radio immunoassay methods. It was found that, Hypoalbuminaemia was very marked in terminal ascitic cases, but in premature ascites it w.as insignificant when compared to non ascitic hepatosplenic schistosmiasis. Hyperaldosteronism was significant in cases of ascites, premature or terminal, not related to plasmarenin activity, and even present in bilharzial cases without ascites. Thus, the use of aldosterone antagonists in the treatment of premature and terminal ascites is encouraged even its use in non ascitic cases may be considered to delay or prevent the development of ascites

Preliminary studies on bacteria recovered from milk of apparently healthy udder in dairy cattle at El Haram area with special reference to antibiotic sensitivity

Milk Samples, were randomly collected from apparently healthy udders of 517 milking friesian cattle for bacteriological examination. Sixty-one strains were isolated in a recovery rate of 11.8% of the samples. Microorganisms secured were staph. coagulase positive [60.66%], streptococci [31.14%] including Str. Agalactiae [16.3%]. Str. Dysgalactiae [11.4%], Str. Uberis [3.2%]. In addition, E. coli and C. pyogenes were recovered in an incidence of 4.9% and 3.2% respectively. The incidence of double infection was 51.2% of the infected cases. The secured organisms were sensitive to the following antibiotics in a descending order: Kanamycin, Erythromycin, Polymyxin, Streptomycin and Penicillin

Transferable antibiotic resistance [R-factors] in escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with enteritis

The resistant patterns of 98 tetracycline resistant trains of E. coli previously isolated from buffalo-calves with enteritis, were studied. These strains were mated with an Escherichia coli and salmonella typhimurium recipient strains. Fifty nine per cent of them could transfer their tetracycline resistance to the recipient coli strain, while 66% could transfer it to the salmonella recipient strain. The relatively high incidence of transferable tetracycline resistance may be a result of the common practice of its use in controlling and preventing respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases in calves in Egypt. The practical measure to control the spread of this resistance factore is to minimize the use of this drug in veterinary medicine