DOWN REGULATION OF CLASSICAL MONOCYTES SUBSET IN PATIENTS WITH HCV RELATED LIVER FIBROSIS.

Chronic liver disease is a worldwide common pathology characterized by inflammatory and fibrotic processes that may lead to progressive evolution from chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis. Peripheral blood monocytes may play an important role in the pathogenesis and resolution of liver fibrosis. These cells may offer new approaches for better understanding the pathogenesisof liver fibrosis. This work defined the proportion of circulating classical monocyte subset with hematopoietic origin in peripheral blood to establish the possible potential role of this subset as non-invasive biomarker of liver fibrosis in patients with HCV related chronic liver disease. Forty patients with HCV induced chronic liver disease were classified according to the stage of liver fibrosis after METAVIR score into 4 groups, patients with stages F1, F2, F3 & F4 liver fibrosis (10 patients each) and 10 healthy subjects served as normal controls. Flowcytometric analysis for immunophenotypic characterization for identification of levels of circulating peripheral blood classical monocytes subset in different groups studied was carried out using monoclonal antibodies anti-CD45, anti-CD 14 and anti-CD 16. THE RESULTS: data demonstrated a significant down regulation (p< 0.01) in the proportion of classical monocytes subset (CD45+ve, CD 14+ve and CD 16-ve) in patients with chronic hepatitis C related liver disease compared to healthy subjects. Data also demonstrate that down regulation of the expression of classical monocyte subset paralleled the worsening severity of liver disease and the progression of liver fibrosis.

Type 2 diabetes and mental disorders; a plausible link with inflammation.

Mental disorders including depression and anxiety are the prevalent human diseases which are associated with several metabolic and non-metabolic diseases. Recent investigations demonstrated that the mental disorders can be considered as the potential inducers/stimulators of chronic inflammation. Based on the fact that chronic inflammation is a main cause of human diseases, hence, a hypothesis has been raised to explore the interaction between mental disorders and inflammation related metabolic diseases. Type 2 diabetes (T2D), as a complicated metabolic disorder, is associated with inflammation and also mental disorders. Accordingly, it has been hypothesized that depression and anxiety, as mental disorders may be the inducers/stimulators of inflammation in the patients suffering from T2D. This review article collected recent information regarding the roles of mental disorders on the chronic inflammation in the T2D patients.

Emotional intelligence of dental students and patient satisfaction.

The objective of this study was to determine the degree of correlation between emotional intelligence of dental students, patient satisfaction and related factors. A total of 123 senior students and their patients participated in the study. Students completed the 133 item Bar-On Standardised Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQI) and patients completed a seven item satisfaction questionnaire. The mean score for EI of female students was 442 and 462 for male students, for an overall average score of 452 for all dental students. Male students significantly scored higher in stress control (P = 0.0), general mood (P = 0.011) and intrapersonal scales (P = 0.024). There was a statistically significant relationship between student gender and average EI score (P = 0.007). Married students scored higher in adaptability (P = 0.019) and general mood scales (P = 0.039). Significant relationships existed between students' gender (P = 0.009), level of patient education (P = 0.0) and patient satisfaction levels. Not recording a significant relationship for the interpersonal scale (r = 0.134), there was a significant relationship amongst intrapersonal, stress control, adaptability, and general mood dimensions of the students and patient satisfaction reports. There was a statistically significant relationship between general emotional intelligence score of the students and patient satisfaction. Patients of the students with high general emotional intelligence scores were significantly more satisfied with treatment than patients of students with low EI.