study of the association between delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and atopy in asthmatic children

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is an inverse association between Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and atopy among children living in rural and semi urban areas in El Behira governorate, Egypt. All the studied children were BCG vaccinated in their newborn period. In Tuberculin testing, indurations greater than or equal to 5 mm were accepted as positive. For atopy, the most common aeroallergens were used in skin intradermal testing, and reactions >/= 3 mm were accepted as positive. Among 150 studied children whose ages ranged from 4-8 years, 89 patients were purified protein derivative [PPD] negative whereas in 61 patients PPD was positive. Among the PPD negative patients skin intradermal test was positive for atopy in 51.6% [n = 46], while among the PPD positive patients skin intradermal test was positive in 52.4% [n = 32]. As the two groups were compared for having positive intradermal skin test reaction, no statistically significant difference was detected between them [P>0.05]. Conclusions: In this study no statistically significant difference was detected between Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection as indicated by positive PPD positivity and atopy tested by skin intradermal injection of common aeroallergens

study of neonatal morbidity and mortality at Damanhour teaching hospital newborn unit

Newborns in Behira governorate represented 2.5% of total Behira population in 2000. In Damanhour teaching hospital 4040 live births were delivered during one year from 1[st] January 1995 to 31[st] December 1995. During this period an observational study of morbidity and mortality of the newborn unit [NBU] attendants was performed. The total number of admitted neonates to the newborn unit were 557, of those 307 were borne in hospital [representing 7.6% of total hospital deliveries] and 250 were admitted from outside the hospital.The number of eligible neonates for the study were 544, they spent 2355 days in the unit, thirteen neonates were excluded from the analysis. The low birth weight [< 2500 gm] were 218 [40% of studied cases]. According to Dubowitz score, Infants were classified as appropriate for gestational age [AGA] 60.7%, small for gestational age [SGA] 27.6% and large for gestational age [LGA]11.8%. Neonates with birth weight < 1500 gm and gestational age