Concentration of some trace element in the serum, hair and nail of alopecia areata patients

Fifty three subjects [41 patients with alopecia areata and 12 matched controls] were selected for this study. The alopecia group comprised 25 males and 16 females with age varying from 10 to 40 years. Thirty one patients had alopecia areata and 10 patients had alopecia totalis. Fifteen patients had nail changes. Zinc, iron, copper and magnesium were estimated in the serum samples of all individuals of the study [41 patients and 12 controls] and the hair and nail samples of 42 subjects [30 patients and 12 controls] by the use of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. No statistically significant differences were found between trace elements concentrations in patients compared to controls except for low hair and nail zinc. Also patient with nail changes have a significant nail zinc as compared to those nail changes. According to these results we can speculate that trace elements have no proven role in the pathogenesis alopecia areata except for zinc which may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease

Chronic prostatitis, clinical, bacteriologic and histopathologic studies

Sixty two men suffering from symptoms suggestive of chronic prostatitis were evaluated clinically as well as by microscopical and bacteriological examination of expressed prostatic secretion [EPS]. Chronic prostatitis was found in 80.6% in these patients and these patients were further examined with prostatic needle biopsy. Nonbacterial prostatitis was diagnosed in 40 patients while bacterial prostatitis was noted only in 8 patients and prostatodynia was found in two patients. Pain was the most prevalent symptom among chronic prostatitis patients. There was no significant relation between the count of white blood cells in EPS and tenderness of prostate, microbiologic results and histopathological pattern of inflammation. In conclusion, we found that routine prostatic localization studies provided clinically useful information in diagnosis of chronic prostatitis and we do not recommend prostatic needle biopsy for every case of chronic prostatitis