Haematological side effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on systemic disorders is not well understood. This study was to evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on blood count, differential leucocytic count and RBCs indices. In this study, atotal of 115 H. pylori positive patients underwent eradication triple therapy for one week, with cured 100 patients. Complete blood count, RBCs indices and differential leucocytic count were analyzed before 2 and 12 weeks after eradication for the cured patients. The results showed that two weeks after H. pylori eradication, platelets count significantly increased but total leucocytic counts and neutrophils were significantly reduced. After three months, RBCs count, Hb concentration, MCV and MCHC were significantly increased, but lymphocytic counts was significantly reduced

role of plasma transforming growth factor beta-1 in the development of fibrosis in patient with HCV related steatohepatitis

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is a major public health problem worldwide, which causes high rate of chronic liver disease such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Plasma transforming growth factor Beta-1 [TGFB-1] is a member of large family of peptides, which has a major regulatory role in hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. The study evaluated the role of transforming growth factor Beta-1 [TGFB-1] in induction of fibrosis in liver parasites-free HCV patients with related steatohepatitis. Thirty HCV patients who were clinically and serologically positive were selected. They were diagnosed as fatty liver by abdominal ultrasonography; steatohepatitis and confirmed by histopathological biopsies examination. ELISA evaluated plasma transforming growth factor Beta-1 [TGFB-1] level. Also, 12 cross-matched subjects clinically, parasitologically and serologically free were used as a controls. The level of plasma transforming growth factor Beta-1 [TGFB-1] was highly elevated in the patients versus controls with mean +/- SD 18739.86 +/- 18539.46 and 6465 +/- 1142 respectively [P < 0.001]. The TGFB-1 level in HCV related steato-hepatitis was elevated in all grades in contrast to controls [P < 0.05], without relation between the TGFB-1 levels and steatohepatitis severity. The TGFB-1 level showed high significant difference in all stages of fibrosis in patients in contrast to controls and the TGFB-1 level was very high when fibrosis started in stage I [P < 0.01] and tended to decrease in fibrosis of stage 2 and 3 [P < 0.05]. There was highly significant positive correlation between TGFB-1 and body mass index [BMI] r = 0.774

Field performances of certain mineral oils against fig scale insect, russellaspis ustulans [cockerell] [homoptera: asterolecaniidae] on apple trees in new reclaimed lands in Egypt

Filed experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of some mineral oils for controlling Russellaspis pustulans on apple trees at El-Nobaryia. Three summer oils [KZ, Super Royal and Chemi oil] at the rate of 1.5% and two winter oils [Folck and Alboleum] at the rate of 2 and 2.5% were used. The obtained results showed that, all tested mineral oils were able to decrease the percent of infestation of Fig scale insect on apple trees throughout the three post treatment counts until the end of winter spraying experiments. Analysis of data showed clearly highly significant differences between the miscible oils efficacy [over 92%] and the winter oils [over 88%]. data also, revealed highly significant response to the tested oils in both types in case of 7. pustulans nymphal stage, adult females laying eggs then adult females, where reduction pencentage was 89.1, 89.9 and 87.6 after 8 weeks from winter spraying of the first season, respectively. However, the low effect on the adult females to the tested treatments was due to that this insect overwinter as a nongravid female, and the stickier of this stage to the host plant. The local mineral oils can use in IPM programs on the deciduous trees against scale insects

Separation and identification of biologically active compounds of the wild plant, atriplex semibaccata against aphis craccivora koch

Biological and Phytochemical studies were conducted on Atriplex semibaccata to investigate the biologically active compounds of this plant against Aphis craccivora Koch. Results indicate that, fraction A with LC[50 0.036] mg/cm[2] and LC[95 0.096] mg/cm[2] was the most effective against Aphis craccivora in comparison to fractions B and C as well as the crude extract itself. The LC[50] and LC[95] values of the crude extract were 0.057 and 1.523, respectively. However, the corresponding values for fraction B were 0.047 and 0.161 and for fraction C were 0.04 and 0.097, respectively. Data also showed that these fractions consist mainly of fatty acids and their esters, terpenes and hydrocarbons. Fraction A, which is the most potent fraction consists of fatty acids with percent area 32.028, esters [41%], terpenes [11.977%] and hydrocarbons [6.095%]. Fraction C followed fraction A according to the effectiveness against Aphis craccivora. It contains hydrocarbons with percent area 24.103, fatty acids 20.610%, fatty acids esters 24.378% and terpenes 3.865%. On the other hand, fraction B had the lowest toxicity compared with the other two fractions while; it was more toxic than the crude extract. It contains methyl salicylate with percent area 9.535% and phytol 7.00% in addition to the amount of fatty acids esters [6.406%] and high amount of hydrocarbons [53.405%]

Insecticidal activity of some wild plant extracts and plant essential oils against whitefly, Bemisia tabaci [Genn.]

Extracts of seven plants and five plant essential oils were investigated for their toxicity against a field population of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci [Genn.]. Among hexane extracts, Haplophyllum tuberculatum extract was the most effective at the LC 50 level [0.029 mg/ml]. The hexane extracts of Anthemis melanopodia and Monosonia senegalensis had not the same high effect [LC 50, 0.053 and 0.056 mg/ml, and toxicity index 54.72 and 51.79%, respectively]. As for chloroform extracts, Silybum marianum was the most toxic to B. tabaci than those of other plants [LC 50: 0.039 mg/ml and 100% toxicity index]. The acetone extract of Polygonum equisitiforme gave the highest toxic effect [LC 50: 0.021 mg/ml]. Also, the extracts of S. marianum, H. tuberculatum and Launea spinosa gave high toxic effect against the adult stage of the insect [LC 50 0.121, 0.446 and 0.940 mg/ml, respectively]. The ethanol extract of P. equistrforme had a high potency among seven tested ethanol extracts at Lc 50 level. From the results, three plant hexane extracts, H. tuberculatum, A. melanopodia and M Senegalensis, chloroform extract of S. marianum, and acetone extract of P. equistrforme were the most toxic as compared to the remaining extracts. All tested plant oils had toxic effects on the whitefly, B. tabaci adult and the oil of O. basilicum was the most toxic [LC 50 1.6%] followed by M viridis [LC 50 2.2%], M hortensis [LC 50 2.3%] L officinalis [LC 50 2.5%] and M piperita [LC 50 2.7%]

Corrective action of carnosine on liver enzymes in ethanol intoxication

The changes in activities of certain enzymes in the liver of ethanol ingested rats and the corrective action of carnosine treatment was studied in the present work. These enzymes included, alcohol dehydrogenase [adh] and some enzymes of energy metabolism including, hexokinase hk. Phosphofructokinase [pfk], malate dehydrogenase [mdh] and creatine phosphokinase [cpk]. Ethanol ingestion showed a marked reduction in the activities of energy metabolism enzymes, indicating the toxic effect of ethanol by inducing oxidative stress on liver tissues, administration of carnosine ameliorated the toxic action of ethanol by improving the activities of the four energy metabolism enzymes

Validity of some immunological and thrombocytopenia tests for diagnosing early pregnancy in buffaloes

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the validity and accurancy of some laboratory tests in diagnosing early pregnancy in buffaloes as a tool to reduce the breeding and calving intervals. Therefore, plasma progesterone concentration and thrombocyte counts were determined before and after natural service or insemination. Precipitation test, using foetal antibodies and cotyledons antibodies was performed in the plasma of the examined animals [3-5 weeks post-service or insemination]. Results of the present investigation revealed that no early pregnancy associated thrombocytopenia was detected in buffaloes which make this test invalid for detection of early pregnancy. Application of precipitation test using foetal antibodies, although still in a stage of developing, its accuracy was 78.43% in pregnant and 84.75% in non pregnant buffaloes. In addition, the accuracy of precipitation test using cotyledons antibodies was 74% in pregnant and 79.45% in non pregnant buffaloes. Thuse, it can be concluded that the precipitation test using foetal or cotyedons antibodies is simple, paratical, useful and can be used under field conditions

Cutaneous manifestations in renal transplant patients

Skin complications in renal transplant patients may be due to the chronic renal failure, the original disease that caused the renal failure, skin manifestations of patients on hemodialysis and skin manifestations due to immunosuppression. A survey was carried out on 100 transplanted patients to record the various dermatologic complications and their relation to the patient's tissue type. Hyperpigmentation was found in 75% of patients. The most frequent cutaneous infection was fungal [65%], viral [15%], bacterial [11%] and parasitic [8%]. Hair loss was reported by 17%. Steroid acne was present in 54%, purpura in 35%, alteration of fat distribution in 16%, facial erythema in 70% and skin dryness in 8%. This work emphasizes the need for continuous follow up of renal transplant patients since the number of transplant patients is on the rise