Role of statins in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

This study assessed the clinical outcome of fluvastatin in addition to the standard regimen used now for treatment of chronic HCV in Egypt. A total of 80 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection fulfilled clinical, laboratory and histo-pathological criteria were ready for interferon therapy. They were divided into two groups: GI (N = 40) received standard treatment for HCV (Pegylated interferon and Ribavirin) and GII (N = 40) received standard treatment plus Fluvastatin (80 mg/daily). Six months before and after treatment liver function tests and HCV-RNA were evaluated. The results showed that addition of Fluvastatin to the standard HCV treatment (Pegylated interferon and Ribavirin) significantly increased sustained virological response (SVR) from (55%-62.5%; P < 0.01) and significantly decreased viral load in relapse patients (P < 0.001). No significant differences and correlations were found between serum levels of LDL-cholesterol and viral load before and after treatment in both groups.

Opportunistic parasites in children with pneumococcal infection in greater Cairo, Egypt.

Vaccination remains the primary preventive strategy in the elderly against Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza infections. However, the effectiveness of vaccines decreases with increasing age and among patients. This study evaluated the opportunistic parasites infecting vaccinated and non-vaccinated pneumococcal children. The result showed that Invasive children (4%) had bacternrmid, septicemid and pneumococcal but no meningitis while the non-invasive ones (86%) had community acquired freunonia and otitis media. The non-vaccinated children were at risk of Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Trichuris trichura, Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, bancroftian microfilaria, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis nana, Giadia lamblia, Entaemeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis.

Thyroid function in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection under interferon therapy.

The study examined 60 HCV patients with normal baseline levels of TSH. The patients received subcutaneous pegylated interferon a-2b weekly in addition to oral ribavirin. Before the start of the interferon therapy, serum TSH, thyroglobulin-Ab (TG-Ab) and antiperoxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) were measured. Three months after interferon therapy serum levels of TSH were measured to all patients; patients with abnormal TSH were subjected to the measurements of FT3, FT4, TPO-Ab, TG-Ab, and thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin levels (TSI). After 3 months of therapy, 48 patients (80%) had normal TSH, and 12 patients (20%) had abnormal TSH. Of 12 patients with abnormal TSH 10 (16.6%) had high levels of TSH (hypothyroidism), while the other two (3.4%) had low levels of TSH (Hyperthyroidism). Of 10 patients with hypothyroidisms, 6 patients (10%) had overt hypothyroidism and 4 patients (6.6%) had subclinical hypothyroidism. All patients with abnormal TSH had significant higher levels of TG-Ab, TPO-Ab and TSI (in cases with hyperthyroidism only) than the patients with normal levels of TSH (p < 0.001), the levels of TPO-Ab only of the most patients with abnormal TSH were above the normal reference range before the start of interferon therapy. Patients with hyperthyroidism, one was presented by clinical picture of overt hyperthyroidism, and the second by subclinical hyperthyroidism. All patients with overt hypo and hyperthyroidism received medical treatment, with normalization of levels of TSH and improvement of clinical symptoms and completed their course of interferon therapy Forty patients (66.6%) responded to interferon (-ve PCR for HCV), while 20 (33.3%) did not respond, 5 had TSH abnormalities that were significantly higher than those in patient with normal TSH {5/12 (41.6%).versus 15/48 (31%); p < 0.01}.

Interleukin (Il)-12, Il-5 and total IgE in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis with or without asthma.

There are a number of similarities between protective immune responses against schistosomiasis and asthma. Both are associated with elevated concentrations of IgE and eosinophilia. Chronic schistosomiasis is liked to Th1 like response with involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines in schistosomal hepatosplenic disease process resulting in low level of IL-5. Meanwhile, association with asthma could modulate the immune response with shift to Th2 side resulting in marked elevation of IL-5 and eosinophilia. This work evaluated the levels of serum IgE, IL-5 and IL-12 in Schistosoma mansoni-infected asthmatic patients. A total of 100 subjects selected from Al-Azhar University's Hospitals were divided into three groups GI: 50 patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis associated with asthma. GII: 25 patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis without apparent asthma. GIII: 25 patients with neither bilharzial liver cirrhosis nor asthma as control group. All patients were subjected to full history taking and clinical examination, pulmonary function tests, total serum IgE, bilharzial antibody titre, stool and urine examination for parasites, liver function tests and serum IL-5 and IL-12. The results showed very high level of the total serum IgE in GI and GII compared to GIII. There was high significant difference in peripheral blood eosinophil%. GI & GII gave highest levels, IL-5 was elevated in GI, but low GII, I-12 was high in GII than GI.