preliminary study on the relationship between trichomonas vaginalis and cervical cancer in Egyptian women

The relationship between Trichomonas vaginalis and cancer cervix was investigated by detection of T. vaginalis antibodies in the sera of 48 invasive cervical cancer patients and 100 random age matched female controls using western immunoblot technique. It was found that antibodies to T. vaginalis were detected in sera of 18.75% of cervical cancer patients compared with 5% of the controls. The increase was evident in the age group 40-49 years and of those with squamous cell carcinoma [6/9] and mainly with grades II and III. All the reactive sera of invasive cancer patients reacted strongly with T. Vaginalis surface antigen of about 109.9, 86.1, 56.2, 48.2 and 30 Kda. So, there may be an association between T. vaginalis and the risk of cervical cancer, as there was more than 3-fold increase in the prevalence of T. Vaginalis antibodies in patients with invasive cervical cancer compared with the age matched female controls. This study highlighted the importance of clinically detection of T. vaginalis infection, which is among the factors involved in the genesis and progression of cervical cancer. In addition, its treatment would aid in restricting the rising incidence of this disease

Female genital schistosomiasis: prevalence disease associated morbidity and intensity of infection as detected by soluble egg antigen in urine

This study was done to assess the prevalence and morbidity pattern of S. haematobium infection in women of reproductive age [15 - 45 years] in schistosomiasis endemic area. One hundered and eighty women involved in this study and grouped as follows: group I: women with proven femal genital schistosomiasis [FGS] [n = 80], group II: endemic referents [n = 80] and group III: women living in schistosomiasis-free area [n= 20] serve as controls. Full history, general gynaecological and parasitological examinations were done to every women, a s and wich ELISA was carried to detect soluble egg antigen [SEA] in urine of all cases.Evaluation of the applicability of this assay as a diagnostic and morbidity indicator was done. revealed that significantly more FGS reported a history of spontaneous abortion [P < 0.01], complaints of irregular menstruation [P < 0.001], pelvic pain [P < 0.01] vaginal discharge [P < 0.0001], dysuria [P < 0.01] and haematuria [P < 0.0001] than in the referents. Biopsies were taken from the cervix of 80 women with macroscopical lesions and from them 24 cases, S. haematobium eggs were found by histological sectioning [30%]. In the control group [referents] no eggs were detected in the cervical biopsies of 10 of them [50%]. Infections with C and ida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis were found in similar frequencies in all groups. Ecographic abnormalities of the urinary tract were present in 24% and 0% of the infected women and referents respectively. These findings were accompanied by an elevated frequency of haematuria [55.6% versus 10%] and proteinuria [70% versus 20%] in the FGS and referent groups. Our study indicates that S. haematobium infection in women may not only cause symptoms in the urinary tract but also frequently in the lower reproductive tract [LRT]. SEA levels in urine of S haematobium infected women significantly correlated with egg counts and with clinical findings [P < 0.001]. In addition lower genital tract pathology as determined by cervical smear and biopsy significantly correlated with the SEA levels in urine

Assessment of transforming growth factor -beta [TGF-beta] and auto antibodies in human fascioliasis

Seventy individuals were included in this study, sixty of them suffering from fascioliasis: thirty with acute and the other thirty with chronic fascioliasis. Ten individuals were taken as a control group. All patients and controls were subjected to clinical, stool, urine and blood examination, abdominal ultrasonography and estimation of TGF-beta and non-organ specific autoantibodies in their serum. The presenting symptoms were abdominal pain [93.3% and 30%], fever [100% and 10%], urticaria [40% and 16.7%] and diarrhoea [53.3% and 3.3%] in acute and chronic stages of fascioliasis respectively. Among the acute and chronic cases of fascioliasis, the following signs wcre presented: hepatomegaly [100% and 66.7%], splenomegaly [63.3% and 16.7%], pallor [80% and 43.3%], fever [100% and 10%] and jaundice [0% and 16.7%]. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed hepatomegaly and splenomegaly in patients with acute fascioliasis while in chronic patients there were common bile duct dilatation, intrahepatic biliary radical dilatation and echogenic shadows in biliary system in 16.7%, 16.7% and 23.3% respectively. During the acute stage a significant increase was observed in TGF-beta level comparing to the chronic and normal control groups. The present study also found that the percent positivity of auto-antibodies increased with the chronicity of the disease; anti-nuclear antibodies [0% and 60%], anti-deoxyribonucleic acid [0% and 20%], anti-smooth muscles [3.3% and 70%] and anti-mitochondrial [6.6% and 26.6%] in acute and chronic stages respectively. It can be concluded that TGF-beta elevation and absence of antinuclear and anti deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies in patients with acute infection can be used as diagnostic markers and monitor for early infection

EParasite density and morbidity in relation to serum levels of thrombomodulin and E-selectin in the acute phase of plasmodium vivax malaria

Standardized questionnaires, clinical examination and parasitological diagnosis were performed on 40 patients in the acute phase of vivax malaria from the out patient clinics, El Abbassia Fevers Hospital. Serum levels of Thrombomadulin [TM], E-selectin and creatinine were determined in inrolled patients and also in 20 healthy controls. The results, based on multivariable analysis, showed that the clinical diagnosis of malaria including history of fever, rigors, headache, myalgia and palpable spleen was strongly associated with the presence and density of P. vivax malaria even in patients with parasite densities less than l000/micro l of blood and significantly increased the odds of the clinical diagnosis. Results revealed also that the patient's mean +/- SD serum levels of TM and E-selectin were 12.8 +/- 3.67 and 125 +/- 61.4 [u/micro l] respectively, significantly greater than in the controls [TM, P<0.001, E-selectin, P<0.001]. However, no significant differences were identified between patients and controls for serum creatinine values. On the other hand, there was a high significant correlation between levels of parasitemia and serum levels of TM and E-selectin

Evaluation of some conventional staining techniques and a monoclonal antibody based method for coccidian oocyst detection in human faecal samples

In the present study, different concentrations and staining techniques were used for the identification of coccidian oocysts in fecal samples from 230 immunocompetent patients complaining from persistent diarrhea. Also, fecal samples were obtained from 20 apparently healthy individuals [control group]. Formal ether sedimentation and Sheather's sugar flotation were used as concentration techniques. The concentrated stools were examined and stained by modified Ziehl- Neelsen [MZN] acid fast stain, rapid Diff stain, phenol-auramine stain and the monoclonal antibody [MAb] based reagent for direct immunofluorescence. It was concluded that for detection of coccidian oocysts, Sheather's sugar flotation can be used as a concentration method, while MZN is sufficient for clinical purposes. The immunofluorescence test is a useful tool in suspected cases with negative samples or in cases where the number of oocysts is suspected to be low