Ultrastructural study of the effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on guinea pig's hepatocytes

This study was conducted on 40 normal adult guinea pigs to evaluate PCBsultrastructural effect on hepatocytes. PCB was administered orally for 3successive weeks at a daily dose of 50 mg/kg body weight dissolved in 5 ml ofcorn oil to the treated group, and the control group received orally 5 ml/day ofcorn oil. At the end of the experiment, examination of the liver tissue ofthe treated guinea pigs by light microscopic process showed liver cells withfatty degeneration, cloudy swelling, focal necrosis and intact limiting plate. Electron microscopic study revealed peripheralization of cytoplasmicorganelles towards the plasma membrane. Mitochondria was the most numerousorganelle and the matrix appeared to be dense. Some mitochondria weresurrounded by CMA. Areas of cytoplasmic vascular degeneration and lipidaccumulations and binucleation were observed

Immune response in bilharzial farmers [uncomplicated and complicated cases]

This study was done in the Outpatient Clinic of Zagazig University Hospital and in the Bacteriology Department of Zagazig University during the year 1991. The aim was to evaluate the immune response [humoral and cellular] of bilharzial patients in various stages of infection through quantitation of specific antibodies using indirect hemagglutination test [IHAT] and quantitation of sensitized T- lymphocytes and their subpopulations using indirect immunofluorescent technique. The study included 25 normal healthy individuals, 25 simple urinary bilharziasis, 25 simple intestinal bilharziasis, and 25 hepatosplenic patients. There was a marked increase in the mean titer of IHAT of bilharzial groups compared with normal controls, but there was no significant statistical difference among the bilharzial groups. The study revealed a decrease in the means of total leucocytic count [TLC], absolute lymphocytic count [ALC], T3+ count, T4+ count and T4+/T8+ ratio of bilharzial groups. Comparable with the normal cases, T8+ counts of bilharzial groups were within normal. There were highly statistically significant lower mean values of total leucocytic count [TLC], T4+ counts, and T4+/T8+ ratio of complicated intestinal [hepatosplenic] group comparable with simple bilharzial groups

use of deciduous teeth as a biological indicator for lead exposure among school children in three different Egyptian environments

The lead content of teeth [Pb T] and blood [Pb B] of school children in the different Egyptian environments were measured to determine the relative contribution of atmospheric lead pollution. The school children of the industrial area showed a statistically higher mean Pb T and Pb B than those of urban and rural area. Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between Pb B and lead in different teeth of the examined group