Medical Sector

This study aim is to assess the prevalence of occult HCV infection among Egyptian patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with elevated AST and ALT, and to correlate presence of occult HCV with severity of liver disease.

Objectives: Complex rectovaginal fistulas repair are extremely challenging. Various surgical options have been suggested; nevertheless, none had been universally accepted as the procedure of choice. This study discussed a novel surgical technique using gracilis myocutaneous flap interposition.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major contributor to cancer incidence and mortality. HCC is a highly fatal disease and is the third leading cause of death from malignancy worldwide. The aim of the study was to determine long-term survival and prognostic factors predictive of the overall survival of HCC patients at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University. Patients and methods: A prospective study was conducted on a cohort of 212 HCC patients attending to the medical oncology clinic at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) during the period from July,1, 2007 till August, 31,2008 and they were followed up by phone till November 7th, 2010. Results: The study revealed that 1-year, 2-year, 3-year survival rates of HCC patients were 26.9%, 9.4%, 5.0% respectively,

Hypermethylation at the promoter region is an important epigenetic mechanism underlying the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and frequently occurs as an early event in the development of different types of cancer including colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The aim of the present study is the detection of methylation status for some tumor suppressor genes including RASSF1A, MGMT, and HIC-1 in both cancerous and precancerous lesions of colorectal mucosa to evaluate the possibility of developing epigenetic biomarker for early detection of Egyptian CRC. Tissue biopsy was collected from 72 patients (36 CRC, 17 adenomatous polyps, and 19 ulcerative colitis), and in addition, adjacent normal-appearing tissues were collected as control. Promoter hypermethylation status for RSSAF1A, MGMT, and HIC-1 genes was detected after isolation of genomic DNA from the tissues samples using methylation-specific PCR technique. High frequency of methylation at MGMT, RASSFA, and HIC-1 was detected in CRC patients (25%, 47.2%, and 41.7% respectively). The highest methylation detected in adenomatous polyps patients was in MGMT gene (47.1%) followed by 35.3% for HIC-1 and only 5.9% for RASSF1A gene. HIC-1 gene exhibited highest frequency of methylation in ulcerative colitis patients (57.8%) whereas it was 26.3% for both RASSF1A and MGMT genes. A nonsignificant association was recorded between the methylation status in different genes examined with the clinicopathological factors except the association between methylation at RASSF1A gene with gender (p=0.005), and it was significant. In conclusion, aberrant hypermethylation at promoter region of RASSFA, MGMT, and HIC-1 genes is involved in Egyptian CRCs. Hypermethylation of MGMT and HIC-1 genes plays an important role in the initiation of disease especially ulcerative colitis-carcinoma pathway.

Premarital care is a worldwide activity aims to diagnose, treat unrecognized disorders, and reduce transmission of diseases to couples. The study was an interventional educational prospective study; its aim was to assess and improve knowledge and attitude of 200 medical students in Fayoum University towards premarital care services; through health education intervention in the form of lecture and brochures that addresses important issues of premarital care.

Data regarding the use of propranolol in pediatrics are limited despite its widespread use in adults. Since 1984, Propranolol has been used for the prevention of portal hypertensive hemorrhage in pediatric patients. Recently it has been also used for the managemnet of hemangiomas in addition to other indications. The purpose of this review is to evaluate safety and efficacy of propranolol use in the pediatric population, highlighting the most important reported side effects, warnings and precautions.

Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the effect of massage therapy on the pulmonary functions of stable Egyptian children with asthma.

The purpose of this study is to increase the lag time and prevent release of budesonide, a corticosteroid drug used in Crohn's disease for the first 5?h and efficiently deliver it to the colon. Eudragit S100 spray-coated capsules and pulsatile systems using tablet plugs of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), HPMC K4M, guar gum, and pectin were prepared. Eudragit S100-coated capsules released 80.62% after 5 h. In pulsatile systems, decreasing the ratio of the polymer significantly increased the rate and extent of drug release. Spray-coating with EUD S100 decreased the extent of drug release to 48.41%, 69.94%, 80.58%, and 45.23% in CAB, HPMC K4M, pectin, and guar gum, respectively; however, the entire amount was released in the target area. In the presence of bacterial enzymes, selected formulas showed nearly 100% release. X-ray imaging performed to monitor the capsules throughout the GIT in human volunteers of the capsules and spray-coated pulsatile systems with 25% guar gum in the plug showed bursting in the transverse and ascending colon, respectively. Both formulations showed marked reduction in induced rabbit colitis model.

Background: Accurate assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients after initial chemotherapy is essential to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic regimens. Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) is a pan-leukemic marker used for identification of the leukemic clone rather than the use of individual specific molecular aberration of ALL.

Purpose: Cure rates of early Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are high, and avoidance of late complications and second malignancies have become increasingly important. This comparative treatment planning study analyzes to what extent target volume reduction to involved-node (IN) and intensity-modulated (IM) radiotherapy (RT), compared with involved-field (IF) and three-dimensional (3D) RT, can reduce doses to organs at risk (OAR).

Context: Ketorolac is one of the most potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and is an attractive alternative to opioids for pain management.

Objective: To compare Rapid Rhino and Merocel packs for nasal packing after septoplasty, in terms of patient tolerance (both with the pack in place and during removal) and post-operative complications.

Background: Several systematic reviews compared recombinant gonadotrophin with urinary gonadotrophins (HMG, purified FSH, highly purified FSH) for ovarian hyperstimulation in IVF and ICSI cycles and these reported conflicting results. Each of these reviews used different inclusion and exclusion criteria for trials. Our aim in producing this review is to bring together all randomised studies in this field under common inclusion criteria with consistent and valid statistical methods.

In patients with portal hypertension, thrombocytopenia in cirrhotics and non-cirrhotics is thought to be caused by sequestration and destruction of platelets within a large spleen, suppression of platelet production in the bone marrow, and decreased activity of the hematopoietic growth factor thrombopoietin (TPO).

IF: 0.770

Resveratrol, a polyphenol compound with anti-inflammatory properties, has been previously evaluated for its beneficial effects in several ulcerative colitis models. However, the current study elucidates the effect of resveratrol on adhesion molecules, as well as its antioxidant efficacy in a trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced ulcerative-colitis model. Colitis was induced by rectal instillation of TNBS, followed by daily per os administration of either sulphasalazine (300 mg/kg) or resveratrol (2 and 10 mg/kg) for 7 days. Administration of resveratrol decreased the ulcerative area and colon mass index; these effects were further supported by the reduction in colon inflammation grades, as well as histolopathological changes, and reflected by the stalling of body mass loss. The anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol were indicated by lowered myeloperoxidase activity, and by suppressing ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels in the colon and serum. In addition,it restored a reduced colonic nitric oxide level and reinstated its redox balance, as evidenced by the suppression of lipid peroxides and prevention of glutathione depletion. The anti-ulcerative effect of the higher dose of resveratrol was comparable with those of sulphasalazine. The study confirms the anti-ulcerative effect of resveratrol in TNBS-induced experimental colitis via reduction of neutrophil infiltration, inhibition of adhesive molecules, and restoration of the nitric oxide level, as well as the redox status.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency and potential risk factors for infection-related complications following transrectal prostate biopsy and to propose adjustments in current antimicrobial prophylaxis recommendations.

Objective: To evaluate the importance of total serum bilirubin (TSB) and neurotoxicity risk factors in predicting acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE) at admission or posttreatment bilirubin encephalopathy (BE) in infants with severe hyperbilirubinemia.

In corticosteroid resistant polymyositis (PM) patients, other options include Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), methotrexate (MTX), azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil and rituximab. Caution is in order when considering TNF? antagonist therapy, as cases of paradoxical exacerbation of muscle involvement were reported [1].

{Altered cell cycle regulatory genes expression contributes to HCV-associated liver disease. We sought to assess the role of cyclins and cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) in HCV-associated CH and HCC. Aberrant expression of cyclins A, E, D1, CDK2 and CDK4 was assessed by immunohistochemistry and differential PCR in HCV-associated CH and HCC with pericarcinomatous foci (PCF). S phase fraction (SPF) was determined by flow cytometry. Results were correlated with overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. In HCC, cyclins A, E, D1, CDK2 and CDK4 protein overexpression was detected in 52.8%, 52.8%, 69%, 47% and 58% compared to 36.1%, 33%, 56%, 27.8%, 55.6% for CH and 36.1%, 27%, 30.6%, 27%, 50% for PCF. Gene amplification was detected in 38.9%, 33% 66%, 33%, 44% of HCC compared to 27.8%, 25%, 44%, 27.8%, 36% in CH and 25%, 22.2%, 38.9%, 27%, 33% in PCF. A significant difference was reported between HCC, CH, NHT regarding cyclins A, E, D1, CDK2 (p=0.007