Assessment of factors II, VII, IX, X, and protein C in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis.

Forty-four patients with schistosomiasis mansoni were divided into two groups: a group of 31 patients with hepatosplenomegaly and a group of 13 patients with advanced hepatic fibrosis and ascites. Both groups were compared to a control group of 14 healthy subjects. Screening of the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation pathways was performed by PT (%) and aPTT. Functional assays of vitamin-K-dependent coagulation proteins: factors II, VII, IX, X, and protein C were conducted by using standard methods. A progressive reduction in PT (%) and prolongation in aPTT were detected in the diseased groups. Furthermore, all studied coagulation proteins showed a progressive reduction in their activities, which became more pronounced in the group with advanced ascites. We conclude that the significant reduction in vitamin-K-dependent coagulation proteins might add to the coagulopathy and bleeding diathesis noted in patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Immune deficiency in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Forty-three previously untreated Egyptian patients with Hodgkin's disease and thirty-five patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma were studied with several readily available tests of immune function, number of peripheral blood lymphocytes, delayed hypersensitivity to two recall antigens, in vitro blastoid transformation by PHA, the capacity of E-rosette formation and surface marker criteria. The results were correlated to the histology, stage of disease and to the presence of general symptoms and signs.

Serum immunoglobulins in patients with chronic tonsillitis.

In this work, the serum immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM and IgD) levels were determined in ten patients with chronic tonsillitis. The serum immunoglobulins were estimated before and two months after tonsillectomy, using the radial immuno-diffusion method. Ten normal individuals with intact tonsils were chosen as a control group. The patients had elevated serum levels of IgG and IgA. These high levels may be due to repeated antigenic stimulation. The IgM and IgD were not significantly higher than in the normal controls. The serum IgG level did decrease significantly following tonsillectomy; the other three immunoglobulins were reduced, but insignificantly. The fall in immunoglobulins may be due to a reduction in the antigenic load, to the removal of immunoglobulin-producing tissue, or to alteration in the oropharyngeal pathogenic bacteria. Tonsillectomy does not seem to compromise immunological integrity or the immunoglobulin-producting apparatus. Estimations of the serum immunoglobulin, or simply of IgA, may help us to select those candidates for adeno-tonsillectomy who will have a good prognosis, or at least to exclude those with an underlying sub-clinical immunodeficiency disease.