Medical Sector

Background: Skewing of the immune response towards T helper (Th)1 or Th17 and away from regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Th2 cells may be responsible for the development and progression of autoimmune disease. An autoimmune theory has been proposed in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. No previous reports have investigated alterations in IL-17 produced by Th17 cells in lesional skin in vitiligo. Aim: To investigate the role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of vitiligo by assessing its levels in lesional skin and serum of patients with vitiligo compared with controls. Methods: In total, 30 patients with vitiligo and 20 controls matched for age and gender were enrolled in the study. Serum and tissue IL-17 levels were measured by ELISA and compared between both groups for correlations with age, gender, family, disease duration, activity of vitiligo and percentage of involved body surface area. Results: A significant difference between patients and healthy controls was found for both serum and tissue IL-17 levels (P < 0.001 for both). Significant positive correlations were found between

Objective: This work is designed to study the possible role of chronic inflammation induced by E. coli in the urinary bladder of rats, the protective role of soybean flour, in addition to the role of oxidative and nitrosative stresses during bladder carcinogenesis.

The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between nitric oxide (NO) concentration/rate in the unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS) with the decay-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) and simplified oral hygiene (OHI-s) scores. Forty adults were included in the study. Half of the participants (n= 20) had high DMFT-OHI-s compared to the other half. UWS and SWS flow rates, initial and final pHs were also measured. NO concentrations in the UWS and SWS of high and low DMFT-OHI-s groups were determined using modified Griess reaction and NO rates were calculated. The two groups revealed no significant differences in their salivary flow rates and their

The role of breast conserving surgery (BCS) with radiation therapy (RT) in the treatment of early breast cancer has been firmly established over the past 25 years. Large randomized controlled trials have confirmed that long term survival is not impacted by the choice between initial mastectomy and BCS with RT [1-4]. Specifically, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel project (NSABP) B-06 trial demonstrated that the 20 year survival was equivalent for mastectomy and BCS with RT [2]. Unfortunately, conservative surgery is still associated with higher rates of local recurrence in the form of IBTR compared with mastectomy [2-4]. Veronesi and his colleagues report a cumulative 20 year incidence of local failure after BCS of 8.8 per cent compared with a rate of 2.3 per cent after mastectomy [3]. Because IBTR is not uncommon after BCS, physicians should be cognizant of risk factors for recurrence. Studies have reported that in addition to administration of radiation therapy, younger age at lumpectomy [5-8], positive surgical margin [9-11] and clinical tumor size [12, 13] are risk factors for IBTR. Recent data from the NSABP found that older age, black race, higher body mass index, larger tumors and occurrence of IBTR were all associated with higher overall mortality [13].

Background: There is a growing demand for the discovery of new phytoestrogens to be used as a safe and effective hormonal replacement therapy. Materials and Methods: The methanol extracts of 40 plants from the Egyptian and Thailand folk medicines were screened for their estrogen agonist and antagonist activities. The estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects of the tested extracts were carried out using the yeast two-hybrid assay system expressing ER? and ER?. In addition, all the extracts were subjected to a naringinase treatment and retested for their estrogenic activity. Results: The methanol extracts of Derris reticulata and Dracaena lourieri showed the most potent estrogenic activity on both estrogen receptor subtypes, while, the methanol extracts of Butea monosperma, Erythrina fusca, and Dalbergia candenatensis revealed significant estrogenic activity on ER? only. Nigella sativa, Sophora japonica, Artabotrys harmandii, and Clitorea hanceana showed estrogenic effect only after naringinase treatment. The most potent antiestrogenic effect was revealed by Aframomum melegueta, Dalbergia candenatensis, Dracena loureiri, and Mansonia gagei.

Stability-indicative determination of bambuterol hydrochloride (BH) in the presence of its degradation product (terbutaline) , which is also the metabolite, is investigated. The degradation

Objectives: To evaluate the outcome and complications of the use of semirigid ureteroscopy (URS) together with intracorporeal pneumatic lithotripsy in the management of upper ureteral calculi _10 mm in diameter.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive cancers worldwide. In Egypt, the disease is usuallydetected in an advanced stage at which no treatment may be effective includingsurgery. Early detection of the disease is thusan important goal allowing the patient to be treated before the enlargement of the tumor or its metastasis to distant organs.Tumor markers are serological agents which serum level may be useful in predicting the presence of the tumor at early stages.Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) which is the golden marker for HCC is of low sensitivity, therefore, additional markers such as alpha-L-fucosidase (AFU), transforming growth factors alpha and beta (TGF-? and TGF-?) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) are suggested tobe simultaneously evaluated in order to enhance the detection of HCC. A total of 96 patients with different liver diseases suchas HCC, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and cirrhotic patients are included in this study. Sixteen healthyvolunteers are used as a control group. In patients with HCC each of AFP, AFU, TGF-? and TGF-? recorded significantly higherlevels than the other patient groups and controls. HCC patients recorded significantly lower level of IL-8 compared to the otherpatient groups but significantly higher than the control. For AFP, AFU, TGF-?, TGF-? and IL-8, at the optimal cut-off values(obtained from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves), the calculated sensitivities are 46%, 72.97%, 67.56%, 54.05%and 83.8%, respectively. The simultaneous evaluation using all of the suggested markers resulted in increasing the sensitivity upto 100%. It thus recommended that, if patients with cirrhosis, as high risk patients, are subjected to regular examination usingthese markers in addition to AFP, HCC may be detected by 100% sensitivity in an early stage and as a consequence an effectivetreatment can be achieved.

Objective: Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase inflammatory marker that is closely associated with ischemic injuries. Its expression in neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) has not been studied. To test the hypothesis that SAA is increased in neonatal HIE and its concentration correlates with the severity of encephalopathy

Introduction: Interest in B-cells has been revived due to the description of new functions. Supporting a role for B-cells in the genesis of autoimmune diseases is the fact that the B-cellactivating factor of the TNF ligand family (BAFF) is essential in their physiology. The role of BAFF, a new cytokine, in autoimmune diseases has been highlighted.

Introduction: The cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a glycoprotein, which occurs mainly in an articular cartilage. The amount of this protein increases under the influence of cytokines and growth factors. As a result of various diseases th at cause damage to cartilage fragments of matrix protein are released into synovial fluid and then into blood. The assessment of matrix protein level in serum, for example COMP, permits the establishment of the degree of cartilage damage in inflammatory joint diseases, and permits observation of the effectiveness of the treatment.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc), is a multisystem disease in which interplay between inflammation, autoimmunity and fibrosis appear to play an indispensable role. Owing to the suggested role of cyclooxygenase-2 enzymes (Cox-2) in inflammation and fibrosis, we investigated their serum concentrations in SSc patients and its clinical and laboratory associations. Serum from 49 patients with SSc, 28 had limited cutaneous (lSSc) and 21 had diffuse cutaneous (dSSc) subtypes, and 27 normal healthy subjects were assayed for Cox-2 and TNF by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA). Demographic, clinical, autoantibodies and serological data were prospectively assessed. The analysis revealed that patients with lSSc had higher levels of serum Cox-2 than controls. Serum Cox-2 levels were increased in SSc patients with arthritis and digital ulcers, on the contrary it was diminished in those with associated pulmonary fibrosis. An additional prospective large scale, longitudinal study should be carried out to support these findings and to reveal the mechanistic connections between

McKee and Schover have suggested that sexuality is an aspect of intimicy that is frequently compromised by cancer and its treatments. Cancer, both in terms of diagnosis and treatments, may have a dramatic impact on both intimicy and sexuality. There is a body of published research addressing sexual concerns among patients with prostatic, testicular, breast and rectal cancers. This issue seems to be less well documented in patients who have undergone haematopoeitic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this review, we seek to elaborate different points regarding sexuality and how it is affected in patients undergoing HSCT, with the aim of identifying optimum solutions for such patients in confronting such problems in the course of cancer treatment.

Aim: To detect the prevalence of shrinking lung syndrome (SLS) among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and study their clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics and differences in disease activity and damage.

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of sicca complex (SC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its association with clinical and laboratory features of liver disease. Subjective and objective criteria of xerophthalmia and xerostomia were investigated in 120 HCV Egyptian patients.

Objective To evaluate the use of a thin catheter for hysterosalpingography (HSG) for reducing the pain experienced during the procedure.

IF: 1.247

Simple, sensitive, selective and precise spectrophotometric, spectrodensitometric and HPLC methods were developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of allopurinol (AL) & benzbromarone (BZ) in presence of oxipurinol (OX) which is the active metabolite of AL. In the spectrophotometric methods, BZ was determined by the application of direct spectrophotometry and measuring its zero-order (D0) absorption spectra at its ?max=356 nm.AL was determined by measuring the peak amplitude of the second derivative curve (D2) at 281.4 nm or by measuring the peak amplitude of the second derivative of the ratio spectra curve (DD2) at 282.4 nm after using a spectrum of 8ug/ml BZ as a divisor. The TLC-densitometric method depends on the difference in Rf values using acetone: chloroform: NH3 (5: 4: 0.01 v/v/v) as a mobile phase. The spots of the two drugs were scanned at 250 and 356 nm. The HPLC method was based on the separation of the drugs on a reversed phase column using a mobile phase of phosphate buffer pH: 4.0- acetonitrile-methanol (50:30: 20 v/v/v) with UV detection of the effluent at 250 nm. The proposed methods were used to determine both drugs in their pure powder form and in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Three simple, reliable methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of a mixture of Ambroxol HCl (A) and Guaifenesin (G) in presence of the oxidative degradate (AD) of A and guaicol (GD), the impurity of G .