Chlamydia penumoniae, an added risk factor for coronary heart disease.

This study was done on twenty patients [their mean age was +/- SD [36 +/- 12 years]] with acute myocardial infarction as well as twenty healthy controls with comparable age [35 +/- 10 years] and sex. Serum lipogram, lipoprotein [a], homocysteine level and Chlamydia pneumonia antibodies IgA and Chlamydia pneumonia lipopolysaccharides- immune complex [C. pneumonia LPS-IC] were estimated in both patients and controls. A significant increase in serum lipids was found in patients than the controls [total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively]. Also, lipoprotein [a] was significantly higher in patients than controls. IgA against C. pneumonia was more frequently positive in patients than controls [14 cases versus 5 cases, respectively], but LPS-IC [which is more diagnostic than IgA] was present in 15 patients compared with only one case of controls. Using stepwise logistic regression analysis, C. pneumonia was found to be an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease [CHD]. It was concluded that C. pneumonia is an additional risk factor for CHD and it must be put into consideration as an etiologic or precipitating factor for CHD

effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL] on angiotensin I, N-acetyl-B-glucosaminidase, urinary marker proteins, parathyroid hormone, pancreatic amylase and muscle injury enzyme markers

To detect the source of relevant acute intrarenal side effects after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL], urinary excretion of highly specific marker proteins [alpha 1 and beta 2 microglobulin], as well as tubular enzyme N-acetyl-beta-D glucosaminidase [NAG] were analyzed before and after ESWL. A highly significant increase in urinary marker proteins [alpha 1 M and beta 2 M] and urinary enzyme NAG were recognized immediately following ESWL. Alpha 1 M and NAG returned to their pre-ESWL levels but beta 2 M remained high till day 30. Plasma renin activity-PRA [angiotensin I] was highly significantly elevated immediately after ESWL and remained high after 1 month. The parathyroid hormone [PTH], CK-MB were highly significant elevated. Gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase[AST], alkaline phosphatase[ALP] and pancreatic amylase were significantly higher than normal immediately after ESWL but all to their pre-ESWL values after 1 month

Coagulation status and fibrinolytic activity in normal and abnormal pregnancy: case control study

Haemostatic and fibrinolytic activity changes during normal pregnancy particularly at the time of the placental separation. This study was designed to detect the changes in fibrinogen, plasminogen and factor XIII; and fibrin degradation products [FOPs], antiplasminogen and for the first time the "D-dimer" in different types of pregnancy associated complications. Twenty seven patients with aberrations of the pregnancy during first and second trimester and 26 patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were compared to the 36 normal pregnancies. Plasminogen, fibrinogen and factor XIII showed a significant reduction in both abnormal groups compared to the normal pregnancy. The FOPs, antiplasminogen and the D-dimer, on the other hand showed a significant increase. These findings suggest using some of these parameters in early diagnosis of placental-associated abnormalities of the pregnancy