Ulcerative colitis in upper Egypt

ABSTRACT

This study examined 858 patients suffering from low gastrointestinal symptoms in the Endoscopy Unit, Tropical Medicine Department, Assiut University, during the period from January 1995 till December 1996. Colonoscopy was done for all patients using CF-200S Olympus EVIS videoscope. The findings were consistent with ulcerative colitis [UC] in 67 patients [47 male and 20 females]. Their mean age was 37.8 years [range 11 - 80 years]. 16% of the patients were below 40 years. They had mild [40%] or moderate [54%] diseases activity. The lesions were confined to the rectum in 26 patients and to the rectosigmoid segment in 37 patients. In few patients [6%], the lesions extended to involve the left side of the colon. Mucosal mucins, CEA expression, IgA production and peanut agglutinin [PNA] lectin binding were evaluated in 31 patients with UC. Decreased mucosal mucin content was noticed in 71%. Sialomucins was predominated over sulfomucins in the mucosal glands in 55%. Mucosal CEA expression was detected in 90%. IgA was detected in lamina propria in all cases with variable staining intensity. PNA lectin binding was detected in 81% of cases