Anti-beta2- glycoprotein I autoantibodies more correlates with strokes in antiphospholipid syndrome

To determine the significance of testing for anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I dependent [abeta2-GPI] among stroke patients of antiphospholipid syndrome [APS]. Fifty selected patients with strokes and 30 healthy individuals were tested for lgG isotype of anticardiolipin [aCL], abeta2-GPI, and antiphosphatidyl serine [aPS] autoantibodies. The study was conducted in the Postgraduate Laboratory Center, College of Medicine, and University of Dohuk, Iraq during April 2005. The indirect solid phase enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay [ELISA] technique was used for the detection of lgG aCL, abeta2-GPI, and aPS. The studied cases and controls were under 50 years of age and had no recognizable risk factors. One or more of the tested APLAs were detected in 14/50 [28%] of cases with stroke. The lgG aCL was detected in 11/50 [22%], IgG abeta2-GPI in 14/50 [28%], and IgG aPS in 9/50 [18%] of the studied patients. However, IgG aCL was detected in 2/30 [6.7%] of controls with absence of other antiphospholipids antibodies [APLAs]. All IgG aPS positive cases [9/14, 18%] were found to be positive for IgG abeta2-GPI and IgG aCL markers. Moreover, all IgG aCL positive cases [11/50, 22%] were positive for IgG abeta2-GPI marker. On the other hand, IgG abeta2-GPI as a sole marker was detected in another 3 positive APLAs cases with [3/14, 21.4%]. In this study, IgG abeta2-GPI autoantibodies were found to correlate more with stroke cases of APS than other APLAs. These findings necessitate testing for this marker and ascertain the evidence accumulating which would assign a central role played by abeta2-GPI in strokes of APS

prevalence of anti-phospholipid autoantibodies in patients with deep venous thrombosis

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of antiphospholipid autoantibodies [APLAs] among patients with deep vein thrombosis [DVT]. The APLAs tested were lupus anticoagulant [LA], anticardiolipin [aCL], anti- beta 2 glycoprotein I dependent [a beta 2-GPI], and anti-phosphatidyl serine [aPS]. This study was carried out on 50 patients suffering from DVT events and 30 healthy individuals as a control during the period between 1st March 2004 and 1st March 2005. The studied cases were under 50 years of age, and had no recognizable risk factors. The activated partial thromboplastin time [APTT] was used for LA estimation and ELISA assay was used to test for IgG and IgM isotypes of tested APLAs. The DVT events with significant APLAs was detected in 20/50 [40%] of patients. A significant titers of LA [P > 0.05], total IgG aCL isotype [P > 0.025], and IgG a beta 2-GPI [P > 0.025] were detected in the studied cases, while the correlation was lacking for IgG aPS. The LA, aCL, and a beta 2- GPI significant titers were found to be predominant in DVT patients. Therefore, a panel testing for APLAs is a prudent to correlate such DVT cases as a clinical event related to antiphospholipid syndrome [APS]

Comparison of the Widal test and a modified 2-mercaptoethanol Widal test for the diagnosis of enteric fevers

1. Develop a modified version of slide Widal test [2- mercaptoethanol modified Widal test] to differentiate between current/recent and previous typhoid and paratyphoid [enteric] fevers. 2. Evaluate the utility of the 2ME-modified Widal test [2ME-MWT]. A comparative study between conventional Widal test, and 2ME-MWT in the light of bacterial culture of clinical specimens. Three hundred and fifty individuals suspected to have enteric fevers [ENFS] were studied in Mosul City, Iraq. These patients were 246 [70.3%] females and 104 [29.7%] males with age ranged from 5- 84 years [X +/- SD =32 +/- 0.8]. They were all tested by conventional Widal and 2ME-MWT as well by culture of their blood, stool and urine. It was found that 200/350 [57.1%] of tested patients had positive Widal test [titer [3]

Serum level of antihydroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies, IgG, IgM and IgA in hyperthyroidism

Sixty patients with hyperthyroidism [17 Graves' disease, 9 toxic multinodular goiter, 6 toxic autonomous nodule, 21 nongoitrous thyrotoxicosis and 7 T3-toxicosis] and 36 normal control individuals were studied. Patients and Controls were tested for serum antithyroglobulin [ATg] and antimicrosomal [Amc] antibodies, IgG, IgM and IgA. ATg was detected in 25%of patients but in none of the controls. AMc was detected in 70% of patients and in 11.1% of the controls. ATg and AMc were not limited to any particular type of hyperthyroidism; they were rather widely distributed in the different types of this disease. Furthermore, hypergammag1obulinaemia was detected in hyperthyroidism and was not related to the presence of either ATg or AMC. The significance of these results is discussed

Serum alpha-foetoprotein in patients with malignant tumours and liver diseases

Serum alph-foetoprotein [AFP] was detected by radioimmunoassay among 100 patients with malignant tumours, 58 patients with liver diseases and 58 normal Individuals. The range of AFP among the latter group was 0-15.7 Ng/ml. AFP levels above 20 Ng/ml were detected among patients with gastric carcinoma, mixed seminoma-teratoma, ovarian yolk sac tumour, hepatoma, liver secondaries, liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, acute hepatitis and asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. The rest of our patients showed AFP levels within the normal range. These results provided local Information on AFP levels in normal individuals and in patients with the above mentioned diseases. Furthermore, counter current immunoelectrophoresis technique was improved to detect as low as 50 Ng/ml of AFP. This Improvement provided a useful means for the semiquantitation of AFP in less than I hour In most of the cases with elevated AFP levels

Screening of blood donors for hepatitis B virus antigens and antibodies in Mosul, Iraq

270 volunteer blood donors and 100 workers [as a control group] were screened by radioimmunoassay [RIA] and reversed passive haemagglutination test [RPHA] for hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAG]. The prevalence rate of HBsAg carrier state was 5.9% in the blood donors and 6% In the controls. None of these HBsAg carriers were positive for hepatitis B-e antigen [HBeAg]. However, 81.2% of the blood donor carriers and all of the control carriers were anti-HBe positive. The prevalence rates of anti-HBs were 40% and 32.1% in the HBsAg negative blood donors and controls respectively. Alanine minotransferase was increased above 20 U/l In 5.5% of the blood donors who were negative for all other markers used in this study. The significance of these results Is discussed Relative to RIA for the detection of HBsAg, the specificity of RPHA was 95.6% in both blood donors and controls, and its sensitivity was 84.6% in these two groups