Assisted reproductive technology after the birth of Louise Brown

Public interest in Assisted Reproductive Technology [ART] has remained high since the birth of the world's first in vitro fertilization baby, Louise Brown, in the United Kingdom. ART allows scientists to manipulate the fertilization process in order to bypass some pathological obstacles such as blocked fallopian tubes and non-functioning ovaries in the females, and blocked vas deferens and low sperm count in the males. The purpose was to provide a historical outline and identify the researches that most contributed to ART. A review of published experimental and clinical studies of assisted reproduction carried out at the University of Bristol library website [MetaLib]. A cross-search of seven different medical databases [AMED-Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, BIOSIS Previews on Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, Embase, and the Medline on Web of Knowledge, Ovid SP and PubMed] was completed by using the key words to explore the major milestones and progress in the development and implementation of ART. A speedy advancement in the development of different assisted reproductive techniques makes infertility problem more treatable than it ever had been. Although no other field in the medicine has integrated new knowledge into the daily practice more quickly than ART yet, there is a need for social research to counterbalance the dominance of biomedical one, in particular the people's actual experiences and expectations of ART

Serum ghrelin level in epileptic children

The relation between epilepsy and endocrine system is very important as neuroendocrinological studies on epileptic seizures elucidate part of the mechanisms of the brain function underlying epilepsy. Ghrelin is a growth hormone secretagogue secreted primarily by stomach cells with lesser amounts secreted by other cells. The aim of this study is to compare serum ghrelin level in epileptic children with control group. The study included 40 children with epilepsy and 12 healthy children as controls. They were selected from Neurologic Clinic and inpatient ward of Pediatric Department, Suzan Moubarak Hospital for Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, El-Rflinia University. Epileptic children were divided into partial or generalized epilepsy and both of them divided according receiving valproate therapy or not started antiepileptic drugs [AED] therapy. Serum level of ghrelin was estimated by ELIZA technique. The study showed that all epileptic children had significantly higher serum ghrelin level than that of the control group [p < 0.001]. All children with partial epilepsy had significantly higher level of ghrelin than those with generalized epilepsy [p < 0.01]. There were insignificant difference between the level of serum ghrelin in all epileptic children under valproate therapy and those don't started any AED therapy. Also no significant differences among both generalized and partial epilepsy under valproate therapy than the levels in epileptic children of both groups not under AED therapy [p > 0.05]. We conclude that ghrelin level increase in all epileptic children and in both generalized and partial epileptic groups when compared with control. Also there was significant higher level in partial epileptic children than the level in generalized epileptic children. There was no effect of valproate therapy on the levels of serum ghrelin in both partial and generalized epileptic children

Lipoid proteinosis: clinical, histopatthological and ultrastructural study

This study demonstrated the reduplication of basal laminae of basement membrane zone and thickened papillary dermis with a marked deposition of hyaline-like material interspersed between thin separated collagen fibrils. Immediately surrounding the blood vessel walls, hyaline deposits were seen together with the reduplication of basal laminae in an onion-like arrangement. The fibroblasts, epithelial cells of eccrine sweat glands and dermal histiocytes showed vacuolated cytoplasm with several types of lysosomes, i.e. empty with curved tubular profiles or farber-like inclusions. Some dermal nerve endings showed dystrophic axons with multiple dense laminated bodies in axoplasm

Assessment of diagnostic potential of office mini-hysteroscopy in gynecologial diagnosis

To evaluate feasibility of diagnostic office mini-hysteroscopy for gynecological diagnosis. One hundred and fifty patients with different gynecologic problems were examined by transvaginal sonography [TVS]. An informed consent was obtained for examination by office mini-hysteroscopy; a Wolf rigid 2.7 mm hysteroscope was utilized. Endometrial biopsy was taken with vacuum aspiration curette in cases of abnormal uterine bleeding. The study revealed that TVS had sensitivity of 47.3% and specificity 67.2% as compared to 98.7% and 100% respectively for office hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of the whole study cases. In abnormal uterine bleeding, the diagnostic accuracy of office hysteroscopy showed 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Mini-hysteroscopic diagnosis of intra-uterine lesions was 100% sensitive and 100% specific. Office mini-hysteroscopy is an accurate, reliable and fast method for evaluation of intra-uterine pathology with minimal morbidity and high patient acceptance. It should be considered an indispensable modality for routine investigation in gynecologic diagnosis

comparative study of some liver functions and haemodynamics in preeclamptic and normal pregnant females

Preeclampsia is a prevalent disease in pregnancy well known to affect liver function. 30 severely preeclamptic patients and 15 normal full term control patients were enrolled in the present study. Portal blood flow was compared between the 2 groups using combined Doppler flowmetry and ultrasonic sector scanning. Portal blood flow of preeclamptic patients was found to be significantly lower than controls [P <0.05]. Serum prealbumin and albumin were significantly lower, while bilirubin was higher in preeclamptic patients [P <0.001]. SGOT showed an insignificant difference between the 2 groups, while SGPT was higher in the preeclamptic subjects

Histochemical and electronmicroscopic study of the effect of zinc deficient diet on the skin of albino rat

Skin biopsies were taken from male albino rats after 45 days of feeding with pelleted diets and from others fed with the same diet with zinc supplementation for histochemical and electron microscopic studies. A moderate reaction of acid phosphatase enzyme was observed in the basal keratinocytes and strong reaction in the hair follicles while a moderate reaction of alkaline phosphatase enzyme was observed in hair follicles of skin of rats with zinc deficient diet. Electron-microscopic examination of the skin revealed an increase in the number of keratinocytes and thickening of the horny layer with focal prakeratosis. Most of keratinocytes were swollen and their mitochondria were vacuolated with loss of their cisternae. Dyskeratosis with aggregation of tonofilaments was observed around the nucleus. The basal keratinoeytes were lying on an intact basal lamina with an increase in their mitotic activity. Sebaceous glands retained sebum inside. Perifollicular and perivascular inflammatory infiltrate was evident with an increase in the elastic fibers but the collagen fibers appeared thickened and fragmented

Evaluation and a comparative study between postpartum and postabortion insertion of sutured Cu T-220C and sutured lippes loop

To evaluate the efficiency of immediate postpartum and post-abortive insertion of intrauterine contraceptive devices, 100 women were studied and divided into the following groups: 1] Twenty-five women were fitted for postpartum insertion of sutured lippes loop, 2] twenty-five women were fitted for post-abortion insertion of sutured lippes loop, 3] twenty-five were fitted for postpartum insertion of sutured Cu T220C, 4] twenty-five women were fitted for post-abortion insertion of sutured Cu T220C. Women were followed for six months. Bleeding and expulsion rates were significantly higher in postpartum insertion than with post-abortive insertion and with the use of lippes loop than with the use of Cu T220C. Total discontinuation rate in postpartum cases was 21% and in post-abortion cases was 13%. It is concluded that postpartum and post-abortion insertion is safe and efficient and that the sutured lippes loop has more side effects than the sutured Cu T220C

incidence of trichomonas infection in pregnant women

Examination of vaginal secretion of 1000 pregnant women was done to detect the presence of Trichomonas vaginalis. The direct fresh smear and the fixed stained smear methods were used. The general incidence of Trichomonas vaginalis in the volunteers was found to be 35.2% by the wet smear and 33% by the stained smear. Effect of age, gravidity, parity, diabetes mellitus, EPH gestosis and other pregnancy complications on the incidence of Trichomonas vaginalis was studied