Simvastatin mitigates depressive-like behavior in ovariectomized rats: Possible role of NLRP3 inflammasome and estrogen receptors' modulation

It is well known that females are more vulnerable than males to stress-related psychiatric disorders, particularly during perimenopausal and postmenopausal periods. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been widely used for the management of postmenopausal depression. However, HRT could be associated with severe adverse effects, including increased risk for coronary heart disease, breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Thus, there is a pressing demand for novel therapeutic options for postmenopausal depression without sacrificing uterine health. Simvastatin (SIM) was proven to have neuroprotective activities besides its hypocholesterolemic effect, the former can be attributed to its, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities. Moreover, many reports highlighted that SIM has estrogenic activity and was able to induce the expression of estrogen receptors in rats. The present study showed that SIM (20 mg/kg, p.o.) markedly attenuated depressive-like behavior in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Moreover, SIM prohibited hippocampal microglial activation, abrogated P2X7 receptor, TLR2 and TLR4 expression, inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, with subsequent reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators; IL-1β and IL-18. Furthermore, a marked elevation in hippocampal expression of ERα and ERβ was noted in SIM-treated animals, without any significant effect on uterine relative weight or ERα expression. Taken together, SIM could provide a safer alternative for HRT for the management of postmenopausal depression, without any hyperplastic effect on the uterus.

Investigation of a dynamic measurement methodology for fast detection of gross defects in regularly distributed nuclear material samples

Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) techniques are widely used to verify Nuclear Materials (NM). Most of these techniques are static ones for which, the measuring device and the assayed samples are located at fixed positions during measurements. While assaying regularly distributed NM, attenuation and screening effects may contribute negatively to the accuracy of the results, especially for relatively high density materials. Another factor that may affect the accuracy is the allowable time of measurement. Detection of gross defects in such materials could be achieved more accurately and much faster by employing dynamic measurements. In this work, an investigation for a proposed Non-Destructive Dynamic (NDD) measuring system is presented. The system is assumed to detect gross defects in nuclear fuel assemblies of EK-10 type more accurately and faster than other traditional systems based on static measurements. Different scenarios were considered and studied using the MCNP5 Code. The results showed that the investigated method could be easily applied to detect gross defects in regularly-distributed NM samples.

Enhancing ex vivo expansion of cord blood-derived unrestricted somatic stem cells for clinical applications

OBJECTIVES

To study effects of serum-containing medium (SCM) versus serum-free medium (SFM) and influence of seeding density, on rate of expansion of cord blood (CB) unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs), as a prerequisite for evaluating their therapeutic potential in ongoing clinical trials.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Isolation, propagation and characterization of USSCs from CB samples were performed and followed by their passage 3 culture in SCM and SFM, at cell densities of 5, 50, 500 and 5000 cells/cm(2) .

RESULTS

The cells were CD44(+) , CD90(+) , CD73(+) , CD105(+) , CD34(-) , CD45(-) , and HLA-DR, with Oct4 & Sox2 gene expression; they were differentiated into osteoblasts and adipocytes. USSCs cultured in SCM had significantly higher population doubling levels (P < 0.01) than those cultured in SFM. Those cultured in SCM at 5 cells/cm(2) and those cultured in SFM at 50 cells/cm(2) had significantly higher population doubling (P < 0.01) levels than those cultured at higher cell densities.

CONCLUSIONS

For scaling up of USSCs from 106 (?) to 1012 (?) in 6 weeks, culturing of CB-derived cells of early passage (≤P3) in SCM at low cell seeding density (5 cells/cm(2) ) is suggested for increasing cell count with lower passaging frequency, followed by culture of expanded USSCs at 50 cells/cm(2) in SFM, to avoid undesirable effects of bovine serum in clinical applications.

Primary health care in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: from Alma-Ata to Doha

The celebration in Doha of the 30th anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration at the International Conference on Primary Health Care renewed the commitment of the Eastern Mediterranean Region to primary health care as the tool for better health. The principles agreed at Alma-Ata in 1978 apply as much now as they did before. The event provided an opportunity for the Eastern Mediterranean countries to define future directions to steer the health systems to integrate primary health care and harness the intersectoral approach.

Could the employment-based targeting approach serve Egypt in moving towards a social health insurance model?

The current health insurance system in Egypt targets the productive population through an employment-based scheme bounded by a cost ceiling and focusing on curative care. Egypt Social Contract Survey data from 2005 were used to evaluate the impact of the employment-based scheme on health system accessibility and financing. Only 22.8% of the population in the productive age range (19-59 years) benefited from any health insurance scheme. The employment-based scheme covered 39.3% of the working population and was skewed towards urban areas, older people, females and the wealthier. It did not increase service utilization, but reduced out-of-pocket expenditure. Egypt should blend all health insurance schemes and adopt an innovative approach to reach universal coverage.

Radiological study of exposure levels in El Maghara underground coal mine

Coal is largely composed of organic matter, but it is the inorganic matter in coal minerals and trace elements that have been cited as possible causes of health, environmental and technological problems associated with the use of coal. Some trace elements in coal are naturally radioactive. These radioactive elements include uranium (U), thorium (Th) and their numerous decay products, including radium (Ra) and radon (Rn). Although these elements are less chemically toxic than other coal constituents, such as arsenic, selenium or mercury, questions have been raised concerning the possible risk from radiation. In order to accurately address these questions and to predict the mobility of radioactive elements during the coal fuel cycle, it is important to determine the specific activity, distribution and form of radioactive elements in coal. The assessment of the radiation exposure from coal burning is critically dependent on the specific activity of radioactive elements in coal and in the fly ash that remains after combustion. The El-Maghara coal mine is the only producing coal mine in Egypt. It is located in the middle of the Sinai desert about 250 km north-east of Cairo, where a coal-fired power plant is intended to be built. In this study, a pre-operational radiological baseline of the site and the occupational radiation exposures due to radon progeny in the mine were determined. The specific activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil and coal dust samples collected along the main gallery ranges were found to be 6-22.9, 9.6-47.3 and 77-489 Bq kg-1, respectively. Soil samples collected around the mine showed concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the ranges 2.7-20.2, 3.2-12.6 and 14.6-201 Bq kg-1, respectively. All of the mean values of radon progeny were lower than the action levels for working places recommended in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 65.

Uranium bioassay and radioactive dust measurements at some uranium processing sites in Egypt--health effects

The safety of radiation workers in the uranium mining industry requires close and continuous monitoring of their working conditions. In this study, external radiation surveillance, radioactive dust monitoring and the bioassay of uranium were carried out in some processing sites. As dust represents one of the most important sources of radiation exposure in mills and mines, dust monitoring and bioassays were performed for a sample of workers on the production lines. The concentration of uranium in air ranged from 22.6 x 10(-7) to 11.1 x 10(-5) Bq cm-3, and the exposure levels ranged from 1 to 80 microSv h-1. Laser fluorimetric determination of uranium in urine samples showed concentrations in the range 8.4-29.2 micrograms L-1. Renal function parameters, such as serum creatinine and urea, and hematological parameters were determined in an attempt to correlate them with radiation exposure and the health status of the workers. Urine specimens collected from workers at the ore crushing and separation site showed elevated concentrations of uranium (up to 29.2 micrograms L-1) and a strong correlation between these concentrations and the registered serum creatinine. The mean uranium excretion in the investigated group was more than 20 times the occupational exposure decision level for urine uranium of 0.8 microgram L-1.

Depleted uranium: an overview of its properties and health effects

There has been much debate about the use of depleted uranium in the Gulf War and its health effects on United States and European war veterans. However, studies on the impact of this radioactive substance on the residents of the surrounding Gulf region are far from adequate. Depleted uranium introduces large quantities of radioactive material that is hazardous to biological organisms, continues to decay for millennia and is able to travel tens of kilometres in air. If depleted uranium were used in the Gulf War, its impact on the health of people in the area would have been considerable. This review of depleted uranium-its origin, properties, uses and effects on the human environment and health-aims to trigger further research on this subject.

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis of total trace tin and determination of its differentiated compounds in aquatic biota

The optimization of extraction and determination of trace tin using radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) in selected aquatic specimen (algae, fish, mussels) is described. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) using the induced 117mSn (13.6 days) or 113Sn (115 day) nuclides is in principle a sensitive method for determination of total trace tin. However, due to the high contents of arsenic (As) in most marine matrices, neutron irradiation induces high levels of 76As (26.3 h) in comparison to weak 117mSn activities. Selective removal of As by absorption on Acidic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) would be advantageous and reduce the activities required to be handled during tin purification. It was found that perchloric acid medium is the best eluent for separating Sn from As, whereas sulfuric acid and a mixture of the two were not as effective. The standard radiochemical separation procedure based on solvent extraction and purification of tin iodide in toluene from sulfuric acid-potassium iodide (KI) medium with recoveries ranging between 90%–95% is applied. Interferences from the 47Ca/47Sc decay and 199Au with similar gamma energies were effectively removed by the liquid/liquid separation. Comparing the total tin content in freeze-dried samples with the total organotin content in fresh samples shows that the drying process has changed the tin species pattern of the material. The total butyltin content represents 60% and 90% of the total tin content in eel-pout and bream muscles, while it represents about 76%–83% and 58%–88% in mussels and algae, respectively.

Depleted uranium: an overview of its properties and health effects

There has been much debate about the use of depleted uranium in the Gulf War and its health effects on United States and European war veterans. However, studies on the impact of this radioactive substance on the residents of the surrounding Gulf region are far from adequate. Depleted uranium introduces large quantities of radioactive material that is hazardous to biological organisms, continues to decay for millennia and is able to travel tens of kilometres in air. If depleted uranium were used in the Gulf War, its impact on the health of people in the area would have been considerable. This review of depleted uranium--its origin, properties, uses and effects on the human environment and health--aims to trigger further research on this subject.

Infant mortality in Arab countries: sociodemographic, perinatal and economic factors

The infant mortality rates for 1978 and 1998 of 16 Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region were studied. The data were extracted from World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund sources. The impact of demographic, social, perinatal care and economic indicators on infant mortality rates in 1998 was studied using Spearman rank coefficient to detect significant correlations. All countries, except Iraq, showed a sharp decline in rates from 1978 to 1998. Infant mortality rates were directly related to population size, annual total births, low birth weight and maternal mortality ratios. Also, infant mortality rates were inversely related to literacy status of both sexes, annual gross national product per capita and access to safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation facilities.

Infant mortality in Arab countries: sociodemographic, perinatal and economic factors

The infant mortality rates for 1978 and 1998 of 16 Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region were studied. The data were extracted from World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund sources. The impact of demographic, social, perinatal care and economic indicators on infant mortality rates in 1998 was studied using Spearman rank coefficient to detect significant correlations. All countries, except Iraq, showed a sharp decline in rates from 1978 to 1998. Infant mortality rates were directly related to population size, annual total births, low birth weight and maternal mortality ratios. Also, infant mortality rates were inversely related to literacy status of both sexes, annual gross national product per capita and access to safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation facilities.

Characteristics of NORM in the oil industry from eastern and western deserts of Egypt

Naturally occurring radionuclides (NORs) from the 232Th- and 238U-series, which are omnipresent in the earth's crust, can be concentrated by technical activities, particularly those involving natural resources. Although, a great deal of work has been done in the field of radiation protection and remedial action on uranium and other mines, recent concern has been devoted to the hazard arising from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in oil and gas facilities. NORM wastes associated with oil and gas operations from scale deposits, separated sludge and water at different oil fields in the eastern and western deserts were investigated. Concentrations of the uranium, thorium, and potassium (40K) series have been determined from high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Total uranium content of samples was determined using laser fluorimetry. The levels of radioactivity were mainly due to enhanced levels of dissolved radium ions. Only minute quantities of uranium and thorium were present. The disequilibrium factor for 238U/226Ra has been determined.

Going beyond the curriculum to promote medical education and practice in Saudi Arabia

The foundation of health starts as early as undergraduate medical education. Medical education in the Kingdom has always been successful in promoting the medical profession and population health. The current issue in the Kingdom is quality assurance in all organizations including the health field. Thus emerges the value of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the current system in meeting health needs and expectations. The aim of this paper was to analyze the current situation in order to design a frame for the direction of promotion of medical education and practice that best meets health needs and expectations. In fact, medical practice is a multidisciplinary process that is showing continuously changing theories. It has a broad scope of serving the whole community and improving the quality of life of all population categories. The huge quantity of information, needed to be retained by medical professionals, necessitates the move away from traditional methods of education to more practical and comprehensive programs of study. Most of the recent reform in medical education, in the Kingdom, has focused on curriculum and disregarded the education process. The requisite for the education process is a complete model of community-based health care, education and research. This study proposes a design aiming to enhance medical education and promote the medical profession, through developing the quality of medical professionals, that will foster growth of their activity and productivity, moving them into the community where clinical practice and experience are more relevant to the true health situation.

A non-comparative descriptive study of the risk factors for childhood disability, and the rehabilitation services in jeddah, saudi arabia

OBJECTIVES

Identify the possible risk factors in our community that may influence having a disabled child, and identify the rehabilitation services available to disabled children.

METHODS

Data were collected from six rehabilitation institutes for auditory, visual and mental disabilities in Jeddah City during April 1999. Complete data available on sociodemographic and medical risk factors were extracted from the institutes' files. Personal interviews with the disabled were conducted to confirm information on the services offered to them.

RESULTS

Certain modifiable risk factors affecting child health, such as early and late marriages and childbearing, illiteracy, unemployment, high parity and consanguineous marriages still exist in our community. Occupational hazards were also detected among military workers and working women. Disabilities related to perinatal health with antenatal, natal and postnatal components were also observed. According to resources available, various rehabilitation services are offered to disabled children.

CONCLUSION

The need for intervention in two areas of health is crucial. The first is the prevention of future disabilities through continuous research, modification of unfavorable habits and the strengthening of the quality of perinatal care. The second is the improvement of rehabilitation services in order to raise the quality of life of the handicapped.

Prevalence and epidemiological features of hepatocellular carcinoma in Egypt-a single center experience

Background: The studies carried out on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are scarce in Egypt. Nevertheless, they presumed an upward trend for HCC among chronic liver disease (CLD) patients. The objectives of this research were to determine the trend of HCC, the possible risk factors implicated in its development and the population attributable risk of HCVAb and HBsAg positivity for HCC. Methods: Medical records of all patients attending Cairo Liver Center during the years 1992-1995 were reviewed to determine the sociodemographic characteristics, HCVAb, HBsAg and HCC status. Prospectively, 200 HCC cases' stored sera as well as 120 healthy control were tested for aflatoxin B(1) quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: HCC accounted for 4.7% (321/6850) of CLD patients included in the study. HCVAb positive cases were strikingly high (71.1%) and HBsAg positive cases were reported in 22.4% of patients. There was an annual significant rise of HCC ranging from 3.6% in 1992 to 5.3% in 1995. HCC was significantly more prevalent among old age groups (60 years) than younger age groups. The impact of gender and past history of schistosomiasis on HCC was not proved by this study. HCVAb and HBsAg positivity were the two significant independent risk factors for HCC. The population attributable risk percent has shown that HCC cases attributed to HCVAb positivity accounted for 51.1%; while HBsAg positivity only explained 21.3% of cases. Aflatoxin B(1) was detected in 17% of HCC cases compared to 9.4% of healthy control. Risk ratio=2(95%). Conclusion: HCC is showing an increasing trend among our patients. Its development is mainly due to high rates of HCVAb and HBsAg positivity. HBsAg positive patients were at double risk to develop HCC and HCVAb positive patients were at 1.6 more risk. The high prevalence of HCVAb positivity renders its contribution to the development of HCC over seven-fold higher than HBsAg positivity. Short and long term health strategies are crucial to prevent and control HCC in Egypt.

Effect of maternal education on the rate of childhood handicap

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to determine the relation between maternal education and various maternal risk factors, identify the impact of maternal education on the risk of childhood handicap and estimate the proportion of childhood handicap that can be prevented by maternal education.

METHODS

Data was collected from all married women attending the two major maternity and child hospitals in Jeddah during April 1999. Women with at least one living child were interviewed for sociodemographic factors and having at least one handicapped child. The risk of having a handicapped child and the population attributable risk percent were calculated.

RESULTS

Some potential risk factors are dominant in our society as approximately 30% of women did not attend school and 84% did not work. Consanguineous marriages accounted for about 43%. Pre-marriage counseling was limited as only 10% of women counseled before marriage. The proportion of unemployment and consanguineous marriages decreased significantly by increase in maternal education level. Conversely, the proportion of women reporting pre-marriage counseling increased significantly by increase in maternal education level. Approximately, 7% of women reported having at least one handicapped child. The risk of having a handicapped child showed a significant sharp decline with increase in maternal education level. At least 25% of childhood handicap can be prevented by achieving female primary education and up to half of cases can be prevented if mothers finish their intermediate education.

CONCLUSION

Female education plays a major role in child health. The results of this study suggest investment in female education, which would have substantial positive effects in reducing incidence of childhood handicap in Jeddah.

Cumulative impact of early maternal marital age during the childbearing period

Early marriage of girls, close to age of menarche, is a widespread practice in Arab countries. Knowledge on the cumulative effect of early maternal marriage on maternal and infant health during the childbearing period is insufficient. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of early maternal marriage in Jeddah, identify its relation with other maternal risk factors, and investigate the cumulative impact of early maternal marriage on subsequent maternal health and pregnancy outcomes throughout the reproductive period. Data were collected from six randomly selected primary health care units in Jeddah City. Married women with an infant < or = 12 completed months of age were interviewed and information on sociodemographic characteristics, maternal health and previous pregnancy outcomes were collected. Early marriage of girls before the age of 16 years accounted for 26.5% of the study population and was reported by a third of mothers currently below the age of 20 years. Illiterate mothers, housewives, multiparae, smokers and those married to a relative reported the highest proportion of marriages before their sixteenth birthday. Those who married before the age of 16 were at about double the risk of developing chronic diseases and experiencing miscarriage, stillbirths and infant deaths. These results suggest that early maternal marriage still exists in our community and is intimately related to other maternal risk factors. Maternal marriage < 16 years appears to be fraught with insecurities for the mother and infant throughout the whole length of the childbearing period and not merely the first pregnancy. Thus, even if culture norms claim early marriage of girls, it should be discouraged before the age of 16 years. Moreover, it is recommended that future research on maternal and infant health considers the cumulative effect of the various risk factors during the whole reproductive period and not only a single pregnancy outcome.

Rift valley fever

Rift Valley fever is a viral disease that affects domestic animals and humans. In humans, Rift Valley fever causes a flu-like disease but occasionally leads to high morbidity and mortality. The disease is generally known in the African continent. However, cases started to appear in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The objective of this review is to give a general briefing about the epidemiology, ecology and management of the disease.

Hypercholesterolemia and 5-year risk of development of coronary heart disease among university and school workers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

A study was performed among university and school employees as a step in detecting the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors among school and university staff and the relation of the various risk factors to hypercholesterolemia and to predict the 5-years probability of development of CHD.

METHODS

All university staff and a sample of school workers in Jeddah were included in the study. Data were collected by interview and self-administered questionnaires, as well as by direct observation and measurement of weight, height, blood pressure, and total blood cholesterol. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the impact of various risk factors on hypercholesterolemia. The 5-year risk of development of CHD was calculated to identify the proportion at highest risk.

RESULTS

Some CHD risk factors were detected among the participants as 18.8% were current cigarette smokers, around half were classified as overweight, and 19.9% were classified as hypertensive. Hypercholesterolemia was present in 10.1% and was significantly related to older age (40 years and over) and place of work. The estimated risk of CHD in the coming half-decade for those classified in the fifth quintile was 0.068. The Q(5)/Q(1) ratio has shown that those classified in the fifth quintile were at 3.6 times more risk of developing CHD in the coming 5 years than those classified in the first quintile.

CONCLUSION

CHD risk factors are becoming prevalent in our society. The risk of development of CHD in the coming decades is not trivial. Short- and long-term health strategies are recommended to decrease the risk of CHD and improve the quality of life.

Pathogenicity of a low-virulence duck virus enteritis isolate with apparent immunosuppressive ability

Duck enteritis virus (DEV) was isolated from commercial 2-to-6-wk-old white Pekin ducks experiencing 25%-30% mortality and high morbidity. Secondary infections with Pasteurella multocida, Riemerella anatipestifer, and Escherichia coli were frequently seen in affected ducks. The isolated virus was identical to the prototype DEV by virus neutralization test but differed from the classic DEV by causing lymphoid organ atrophy and inconsistent hemorrhagic lesions in the intestinal annular bands. Attempts to reproduce the disease in white Pekin ducks were unsuccessful until the virulence of the virus was increased by three passages in Muscovy ducklings. Significant thymic atrophy (P < or = 0.001) was detected during the first 10 days postinfection (DPI), but thymus size returned to normal by 17-24 DPI. However, bursal atrophy increased significantly (P < or = 0.001) from 4 DPI until the end of the experiment (39 DPI). Reduction in body weight was significant (P < or = 0.05) between 4 and 6 DPI. There was massive depletion of thymic and bursal lymphocytes with lymphoid necrosis in the thymus, bursa, spleen, and Harderian gland. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions were observed in thymus, bursa, spleen, esophagus, cloaca, liver, conjunctiva, and Harderian gland. Occasional intracytoplasmic inclusions were also found scattered in the epithelial cells of conjunctiva, esophagus, bursa of Fabricius, and cloaca. Virus was recovered from experimentally infected ducks from thymus, bursa, spleen, liver, kidneys, trigeminal ganglion, and cloaca during the first 10 days of infection. These findings suggest that a low-virulent DEV can cause a massive lymphoid atrophy and can sustain immunosuppression as noted by the secondary bacterial infection.

Early teenage marriage and subsequent pregnancy outcome

The relationship between marriage before 16 years and pregnancy outcome throughout the childbearing period was examined. Participants included all married women attending six randomly selected primary health care units in Jeddah with at least one infant and complete medical files. Early teenage marriage was found for 27.2% of women. Most of these were illiterate [57.1%], housewives [92.4%]and grand multiparae [66.7%]. They were at twice the risk of spontaneous abortion, four times the risk of combined fetal death and infant mortality, and twice the risk of losing pregnancies any time during their childbearing years. They remained at high risk of poor pregnancy outcome throughout their reproductive lives. Despite tradition, marriage should be discouraged before 16 years

Early teenage marriage and subsequent pregnancy outcome

The relationship between marriage before 16 years and pregnancy outcome throughout the childbearing period was examined. Participants included all married women attending six randomly selected primary health care units in Jeddah with at least one infant and complete medical files. Early teenage marriage was found for 27.2% of women. Most of these were illiterate (57.1%), housewives (92.4%) and grand multiparae (66.7%). They were at twice the risk of spontaneous abortion, four times the risk of combined fetal death and infant mortality, and twice the risk of losing pregnancies any time during their childbearing years. They remained at high risk of poor pregnancy outcome throughout their reproductive lives. Despite tradition, marriage should be discouraged before 16 years.

Hepatitis C infection among drug addicts

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version.

Combination treatment of interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin in comparison to interferon monotherapy in treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 patients

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients, infected with genotype 4 with interferon-alpha yielded a limited response. Our aim was to compare the efficacy of interferon-alpha alone and in combination with ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients infected with genotype 4.

PATIENTS

Fifty-two chronic hepatitis C patients (all males) infected with genotype 4, who had not received interferon, were randomized into 2 equal comparable groups.

METHODS

Group I received interferon alpha-2b "Schering Plough" 3 MU, tiw combined with ribavirin (1000 mg/day). Group II received interferon alpha-2b alone in the same dose. Both groups were evaluated monthly, at the end of 24 weeks of treatment and 24 weeks later. Two patients were dropped from group I and one patient from group II.

RESULTS

Biochemical response: at the end of treatment, a return to normal of ALT was obtained in 16/24 (66.7%) patients on combination therapy vs 8/25 (32%) patients on interferon alone (p = 0.0152). At the end of follow-up, a sustained response was achieved in 10/24 (41.7%) patients on combination therapy vs 4/25 (16%) patients on interferon (p = 0.0468). Virologic response: at the end of treatment, the rates of virological response were higher in the patients on combination therapy 9/24 (37.5%) than in those on interferon 4/25 (16%) (p = 0.0380). At the end of follow-up, loss of serum HCV RNA was reported in 5/24 (20.8%) patients on combination therapy vs 2/25 (8%) patients on interferon (p = 0.1916). Histologic response: mild histologic improvement was shown by a decrease in the inflammatory score, which was highest in patients in the combination group.

CONCLUSIONS

In chronic hepatitis C patients infected with genotype 4, combination therapy with interferon-alpha and ribavirin was more effective than treatment with interferon monotherapy. At the end of the follow-up, about 50% of patients in both groups were still viraemic though their ALT remained normal.

Distribution pattern of 90Sr and 137Cs in the Nile delta and the adjacent regions after Chernobyl accident

Strontium and cesium contents in surface soil samples across the Nile Delta and the north coast of Egypt after the Chernobyl accident have been investigated. The concentration of 137Cs and 90Sr was determined using a high resolution gamma spectrometer based on hyperpure germanium detector (HPGe) and a liquid scintillation counter (LSC) respectively. 90Sr was determined through its decay product 90Y using Cerenkov counting. The determination of 90Sr was based on tributylphosphate (TBP) extraction of yttrium from nitric acid extract of ashed samples. The radioactivity of soils ranged between 18.5 and 2175 Bq/m2 with a mean of 652 Bq/m2 and 234 and 3129 Bq/m2 with a mean of 760 Bq/m2 for 137Cs and 90Sr respectively. An estimated absorbed dose equivalent due to the measured deposit of 137Cs was found to be 0.062 murem/h.

Detection of duck enteritis virus by polymerase chain reaction

Duck enteritis virus (DEV), a herpesvirus, is the causative agent of duck viral enteritis in free-flying, feral, and domesticated members of the Anatidae family. HindIII-digested DEV DNA was cloned into the plasmid pBluescript, and a 1.95-kb fragment was sequenced. This fragment codes for the 3' region of the DEV homologues of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame (ORF) UL6 and the 5' region of VZV UL7. Alignment of the putative peptide fragments for DEV UL6 and UL7 showed a 64% and 37% identity with VZV UL6 and UL7, respectively. Primers located in the highly conserved domain of the UL6 gene were used for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, which was able to amplify DEV DNA. The PCR assay also amplified DEV DNA from the original outbreak samples and/or after passage in Muscovy duck embryos.

Distribution pattern of organotin compounds at different trophic levels of aquatic ecosystems

Organotin compounds including methyl- and butyltin species were determined in selected aquatic specimens (fish muscles, fish liver, mussels, algae) as well as in sediment and water from the mud flats of the German North Sea and the River Elbe. The concentration of tributyltin (TBT) ranged between 27-202 ng/g (fresh mass) in fish muscles, 54-223 ng/g (fresh mass) in fish liver, 10-25 ng/g (fresh mass) in common mussels and 42-97 ng/g (fresh mass) in bladderwrack. The concentration of total organotin compounds (mono-, di-, and trimethyltin + mono-, di-, and tributyltin) in water samples along the River Elbe up to the Elbe estuary ranged between 30-96 ng/l. Retrospective investigation of butylin compounds in mussel samples from the North Sea was performed by the analysis of cryogenically stored samples from 1985. A comparison of the results with that in muscles from 1993 shows that the total tin content and the TBT content decreased from 1985-1993 by a factor of 3.5 and 6.5, respectively. In addition estimated bioconcentration factors (BCF) for organotin compounds in samples from different trophic levels are presented.

Comparison between antigen-capture ELISA and conventional methods used for titration of infectious bursal disease virus

Two antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (polyclonal and monoclonal AC-ELISAs) were developed and evaluated for titration of infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) propagated in different host systems, namely BGM-70 continuous cell line, primary chicken embryo fibroblast cells, and chicken bursa of Fabricius. The polyclonal system was more sensitive (P < 0.05) than the monoclonal system but both were specific as indicated by the negative results obtained with three non-IBDVs. The results revealed that the conventional systems used for titration of IBDVs (cell cultures and embryonating chicken eggs) were more sensitive than the polyclonal AC-ELISA.

Evaluation of the release and efficacy of two new antibacterial agents from different ointment bases

The in vitro release of rosoxacin (1) and oxolinic acid (2) from three different ointment bases including a revised water washable (NF), an oleaginous, and an O/W emulsion ointment base was studied. Among the bases evaluated, the revised water washable base provided the best release of the two drugs as revealed from the values of the release rate constant (K). The amounts released of both drugs from the revised water washable base showed direct relationship with the concentration of the drug in the ointment. In addition, the effect of some additives on the amount released of both drugs from the different bases has been investigated. The release of 1 from the revised water washable base had been enhanced by adding 0.2% Tween 80 or 10% ethanol, but addition of 10% of N,N-dimethylacetamide and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) led to retardation of the release of the drug. Furthermore addition of 10% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 200, N,N-dimethylacetamide, or ethanol led to enhancement of the release of the drug from both the oleaginous and the emulsion bases. On the other hand, the release of 2 from the revised water washable base had been enhanced only on addition of 0.2% Tween 80 and been retarded by adding 10% ethanol, N,N-dimethylacetamide or PVP to the formula. The release of 2 from the oleaginous, as well as the emulsion bases had been enhanced by 10% PEG 200. However urea was found to show no pronounced effect on the release of the two drugs from the different ointment bases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)