Pulmonary functions in Egyptian children with transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia.

BACKGROUND: In ß-thalassemia, there are varying degrees of ineffective haematopoiesis, intermittent haemolysis and iron overload. Excess iron is deposited in organs such as the heart, the liver, the endocrine glands and the lungs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the pulmonary functions in asymptomatic beta thalassemic children on regular transfusion therapy and their relation to iron overload. METHODS: The study included 50 transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemic children and 50 apparently healthy children as control. All children had undergone pulmonary function tests (spirometry, lung volumes and diffusion capacities). In addition, test to determine the mean serum ferritin of the last 2 years and pre-transfusion haemoglobin and chest radiograph and echocardiography were performed for the thalassemic children only. RESULTS: A total of 70% of the thalassemic children had diffusion impairment, whereas 34% of them had associated restrictive abnormality. Thalassemic children with serum ferritin >2500 ng mL-1 had significantly lower values of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEFR), total lung capacity (TLC) and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) (P < 0·05). Only diffusion impairment had a significant positive correlation with serum ferritin level. Restrictive impairment had significant positive correlations with age, duration of blood transfusion and serum ferritin level and a significant negative correlation with duration of chelation (P < 0·05). Having a serum ferritin >2500 ng mL-1 was the only predicting factor for diffusion impairment and the strongest predicting factor for restrictive dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Despite being asymptomatic, the majority of thalassemic children in this study suffered from diffusion impairment either alone or in combination with restrictive dysfunction. These pulmonary dysfunctions correlated significantly with body iron stores measured by serum ferritin.

Transformation of Commercial TiO2 into Anatase with Improved Activity of Fe, Cu and Cu-Fe Oxides Loaded TiO2.

In the present study copper and iron oxides loaded TiO2 catalysts are prepared by the deposition-precipitation method (DP) and the photocatalytic efficiency of these catalysts are tested for the degradation of Rose Bengal dye (Acid Red 94) under sunlight. The catalysts are characterized by XRD, TEM and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectral analysis. It is interesting to note that the rutile form of commercial TiO2 is competently converted into anatase after loading oxides of Cu, Fe and Cu-Fe on TiO2 as evident from XRD analysis. This result is consistence with the result obtained in UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. TEM analysis confirms the nano particles of Cu and Fe deposited on TiO2. Photocatalytic studies were performed in a batch reactor under solar radiation. Preliminary studies are performed to understand the photocatalytic degradability of the dye and optimization of catalyst weight and dye concentration. Kinetic studies were done at different dye concentrations and it was found that the rate equation followed first order kinetics and obeyed Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The comparison of the activity of blank TiO2, copper or/and iron oxides loaded TiO2 catalysts showed that the Cu and Fe oxide loaded catalysts are more active than pure TiO2 and also the Cu-Fe oxides co-loaded TiO2 catalysts showed much best activity. The order of activity of the catalysts is in the following order: Cu-Fe/TiO2 > Fe/TiO2 > Cu/TiO2 > TiO2. The enhanced activity of metal oxide loaded TiO2 is attributed to the presence of TiO2 in anatase form after loading, which enhanced the charge transfer from the TiO2 to adsorbed molecules for reaction.

A retrospective study of Rift Valley fever in Saudi Arabia.

A retrospective study was undertaken to examine domestic ruminant sera for Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus antibodies. The sera were collected between 1992 and 1995 from cattle, sheep and goats from various locations in Saudi Arabia. The standard capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system was employed to detect specific RVF antibodies in the animals and the results indicated an absence of RVF antibodies. This finding confirms the assumption that Saudi Arabia was free from RVF up until at least 1995 and most probably before the 2000 epidemic. The finding also confirms that RVF was not endemic in Saudi Arabia.

Biochemical effects of vinyl chloride monomer on the liver of occupationally exposed workers.

We investigated the effects of vinyl chloride monomer exposure on the liver of 86 workers by measuring beta-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase A, adenosine deaminase, 5'-nucleotidase and routine liver function enzymes in the sera of the workers. In 21 of them, three or more of these parameters were raised, with a significant decrease in the level of blood glutathione and a significant increase in the enzyme activity level of glutathione S-transferase. Of these 21 workers, 14 had fatty liver infiltration, 8 of whom were also suffering from liver enlargement. Also, 4 workers had liver enlargement without fatty infiltration and 3 had enlarged spleens. The study highlights the need for vigilance in environmental monitoring and medical surveillance of workers exposed to this chemical.

Developmental anomalies in the organogenesis of the eyeball. Bilateral diophthalmos.

A case is described of a 4-month-old boy presenting with a bilateral microphthalmos with cyst. Detailed examination of one eye and cyst suggested that the cyst was atypical and represented an attempt at the formation of an extra eye on the same optic stalk. Such a developmental anomaly has not been described before and the term 'diophthalmos' is proposed as an appropriate name.