PSA-PSMA profiles and their impact on sera PSA levels and angiogenic activity in hyperplasia and human prostate cancer.

AIM: The relevance of prostate specific antigen (PSA)-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) profiles in pathologic prostate (hyperplasia and cancer) has not been fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of PSA-PSMA profiles on sera PSA levels and angiogenic activity in benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate carcinoma (PC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study has been carried out in 6 normal prostate (NP), 29 BPH and 33 PC with dominant Gleason grade>8. Immunohistochemical analysis has been performed. Monoclonal antibodies 3E6 and ER-PR8 have been used to assess PSMA and PSA expression respectively. The evaluation of angiogenesis has been made by CD34 immune marker. Serum levels of PSA have been assayed by Immulite autoanalyser. RESULTS: The study of each protein separately among sera PSA levels showed that PSMA expression and angiogenic activity have the highest intensity in PC patients with serum PSA levels>20 ng/mL. Nevertheless, the lowest tissue PSA expression was found in PC patients with this latter sera PSA group. The most relevant results showed that in PC patients (PSA+, PSMA+) and (PSA-, PSMA+) profile were found to be inversely related to sera PSA levels. In PC patients, a high immunoexpression of (PSA+, PSMA+) profile has detected in the sera PSA group>20 ng/mL; whereas a high immunoexpression of (PSA-, PSMA+) profile was detected in the sera PSA group between 0 and 4 ng/mL. The highest angiogenic activity was found in PC patients with (PSA+, PSMA+) profile. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings clearly have supported the feasibility of PSA-PSMA profiles to improve in vivo diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in prostate cancer patients.

Genetic differentiation of Yemeni people according to rhesus and Gm polymorphisms.

For introducing Yemeni population in synthesis of genetic relationships of human populations, analysis of rhesus and Gm polymorphisms have been carried out for a population sample of 210 Yemenites. Rhesus haplotype frequencies were compared to those estimated in an original sample of 171 Tunisians and to available data for other populations. Gm haplotype frequencies were introduced in a wide synthesis of genetic relationships for 67 populations from Africa, Europe, the Near East and India. The genetic profile of Yemeni people would be close to that of a highly diversified ancestral population. The first inhabitants of North Africa, the Berbers and Yemenites have very likely a common origin and were not subject to important genetic drift after their geographic differentiation. While, the divergence between Yemenites and their neighbours of sub-Saharan Africa would have occurred with a founder effect and a long isolation. An important parallelism is observed for the Gm system between genetic and linguistic differentiations.

A possible role of crows in the spread of diarrhoeal diseases in Aden.

The Indian House Crow (Corvus splendens) has increased dramatically in number in Aden. These birds pollute the environment by dropping their faecal material all over the city. They may accordingly be related to important public health problems. The present work aimed at investigating the possibility that they play a role in the spread of diarrheal diseases. One hundred and fifty crows were collected and their liver, intestine and cloaca examined bacteriologically for Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceas as well as for parasites. Different members of Enterobacteriaceae including Salmonella, and Shigella serotypes and Proteus strains as well as members of Vibrionaceae and Pseudomonads were isolated from a great proportion of crows. Some of them were found identical to the strains previously isolated from patients suffering from diarrhea in Aden. Giardia lamblia cysts and Hymenolepis nana ova were also recovered from crows. It was concluded that crows may participate in the spread of diarrheal diseases in Aden.

Shigellae and Vibrionaceae species as a cause of diarrhoea among children in Aden.

In Aden, the incidence of diarrhoea among infants and children is still high. The present work aimed at investigation of Shigelleae and Vibrionaceae as etiologic agents of enteric infections. Stool specimens obtained from 1056 children complaining of diarrhoea were cultured on plating media and on enrichment media. Suspected colonies were then serotyped and antibiotic sensitivity tests performed. Seven percent of the specimens were found positive for Shigella strains. Shigella boydii was the commonest, particularly serotypes 14 and 1. Two percent of specimens were positive for Vibrionaceae, Plesiomonas shigelloides had the highest frequency. Several Shigella strains revealed multiple resistance to antibiotics, this was explained as due to a plasmid role.