Egyptian Society of Liver Cancer Recommendation Guidelines for the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer. The prevalence of this pathology, which has been on the rise in the last 30 years, has been predicted to continue increasing. HCC is the most common cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in Egypt and is also the most common cancer in males.

The Role of Interleukin 1 Beta in Differentiating Malignant from Benign Pancreatic Cysts.

The frequency of detection of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) in magnetic resonance imaging performed for reasons unrelated to the pancreas reaches up to 13.5%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of cyst fluid interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) and different endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) features in differentiating premalignant/malignant from benign pancreatic cysts.

Recent Approaches to Isolating and Culturing Mouse Bone Marrowderived Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells.

The isolation and culture of murine Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal stromal Stem Cells (mBMSCs) have attracted great interest in terms of the pre-clinical applications of stem cells in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In addition, culturing mBMSCs is important for studying the molecular mechanisms of bone remodeling using relevant transgenic mice. Several factors have created challenges in the isolation and high-yield expansion of homogenous mBMSCs; these factors include low frequencies of Bone Marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal Stem Cells (BMSCs) in bone marrow, variation among inbred mouse strains, contamination with Haematopoietic Progenitor Cells (HPCs), the replicative senescence phenotype and cellular heterogeneity.

Mac-2 binding protein in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Is it a reliable diagnostic biomarker? A pilot study.

Aim Of The Study: This study aimed to assess the level of serum Mac-2 binding protein (Mac-2BP) as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Material And Methods: Forty patients with NAFLD and 15 healthy sex- and age-matched subjects were included in this pilot study. Serum Mac-2BP level was measured using ELISA.

The BMP-2 mutant L51P: a BMP receptor IA binding-deficient inhibitor of noggin.

The antagonist-specific regulation in tissue engineering constitutes important attempts to achieve an improved and rapid bone regeneration by controlling the natural biological response of the natural body growth factors. L51P is molecularly engineered bone morphogentic protein-2 (BMP-2) variant with a substitution of the 51st leucine with a proline residue. L51P is deficient in BMP receptor binding, but maintains its structure and affinity for inhibitory proteins such as noggin, chordin, and gremlin.

Establishing ultrasound based transient elastography cutoffs for different stages of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background And Study Aim: Transient elastography is widely used to assess fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We aimed to establish and validate different transient elastography cut-off values for significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in CHC genotype 4 patients.

Patients And Methods: The data of 100 treatment-naive CHC patients (training set) and 652 patients (validation set) were analysed.

Impact of old Schistosomiasis infection on the use of transient elastography (Fibroscan) for staging of fibrosis in chronic HCV patients.

Background And Aim: In tropical regions, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) - Schistosomiasis coinfection remains one of the health problems. With the new era of HCV treatment and the variety of methods of assessment of liver fibrosis so we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FibroScan for staging hepatic fibrosis in HCV-Schistosomiasis coinfected patients.

Methodology: Three groups of patients were enrolled.

CCN4/WISP-1 positively regulates chondrogenesis by controlling TGF-β3 function.

The CCN family of proteins plays important roles in development and homeostasis of bone and cartilage. To understand the role of CCN4 in chondrogenesis, human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) were transduced with CCN4 adenovirus (adCCN4) or siRNA to CCN4 (siCCN4) in the presence or absence of transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3). Overexpression of CCN4 enhanced TGF-β3-induced SMAD2/3 phosphorylation and chondrogenesis of hBMSCs in an in vitro assay using a micromass culture model.

Relation of ALT and AST levels to the histopathological changes in liver biopsies of patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4.

Background And Study Aims: Worldwide, Egypt has a high prevalence of adult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity is most commonly measured to assess hepatic disease. The revision of the definition of the normal limits for the ALT level is advisable.

Physical interaction of CCN2 with diverse growth factors involved in chondrocyte differentiation during endochondral ossification.

CCN family member 2 (CCN2) has been shown to promote the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and vascular endothelial cells. In addition, a number of growth factors and cytokines are known to work in harmony to promote the process of chondrogenesis and chondrocyte differentiation toward endochondral ossification. Earlier we showed that CCN2 physically interacts with some of them, suggesting that multiple effects of CCN2 on various differentiation stages of chondrocytes may be attributed to its interaction with these growth factors and cytokines.

CCN2 enhances RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation via direct binding to RANK and OPG.

CCN family protein 2/connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) is a multi-potent factor for mesenchymal cells such as chondrocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and endothelial cells. CCN2 is also known as a modulator of other cytokines and receptors via direct molecular interactions with them. We screened additional factors binding to CCN2 and found receptor activator of NF-kappa B (RANK) as one of them.

The BMP2 antagonist inhibitor L51P enhances the osteogenic potential of BMP2 by simultaneous and delayed synergism.

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is a potent osteoinductive cytokine that plays crucial roles in bone repair. However, large amounts of BMP2 are required to induce sufficient bone formation in humans possibly due to a feedback response of BMP antagonists. The engineered BMP2 variant L51P is deficient in BMP receptor type I activation but maintains affinity for BMP antagonists and can allow for the inactivation of BMP antagonists, and eventually enhance BMP2 action.

Role of high resolution ultrasound/endosonography and elastography in predicting lymph node malignancy.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of high resolution ultrasonography (US) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-elastography in predicting malignant lymphadenopathy.

Patients And Methods: This prospective study included 88 patients who underwent EUS or US examination of different groups of lymph nodes (LNs). The classification as benign or malignant based on the real time elastography pattern and the B-mode US/EUS images was compared with the final diagnosis obtained by EUS or US guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), tru-cut biopsy or excisional biopsy and follow-up in benign lesions not indicated for biopsy for at least 12 months.

Fibroscan of chronic HCV patients coinfected with schistosomiasis.

Background And Study Aims: Both hepatitis C virus (HCV) and schistosomiasis are highly endemic in Egypt and coinfection is frequently encountered. Such coinfection is responsible for leading to a more severe liver disease. Hence, the aim of the study was to assess the fibroscan in chronic HCV patients coinfected with Schistosoma.

Coinfection with hepatitis C virus and schistosomiasis: fibrosis and treatment response.

Aim: To assess whether schistosomiasis coinfection with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) influences hepatic fibrosis and pegylated-interferon/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RIB) therapy response.

Methods: This study was designed as a retrospective analysis of 3596 chronic HCV patients enrolled in the Egyptian National Program for HCV treatment with PEG-IFN/RIB. All patients underwent liver biopsy and anti-schistosomal antibodies testing prior to HCV treatment.

Comparative diagnostic study of biomarkers using FibroMax™ and pathology for prediction of liver steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: an Egyptian study.

Background: Steatosis is common in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and may be a major determinant of progression of liver injury. This study evaluated FibroMax™ for noninvasive diagnosis of steatosis in patients with chronic HCV.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 44 patients naïve to treatment who were referred to our hepatology clinic for assessment of fitness for antiviral therapy.

Host susceptibility to schistosomes: effect of host sera on cell proliferation of Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula.

To determine effects of the sera on cell proliferation, schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni (20-days-old) were incubated in medium containing fetal calf serum plus hamster (highly susceptible host) portal or peripheral venous serum, or rat (poorly susceptible host) portal or peripheral venous serum in the presence of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Compared with schistosomula cultured in presence of control medium containing fetal calf serum alone, BrdU labeling indices (BLIs) were increased by 39% in the presence of portal, but not in peripheral, serum of hamsters. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the BLIs in rat portal, or peripheral, sera or in control media.

Nodular fasciitis of the external auditory canal in six Egyptian children.

Objective: Nodular fasciitis of external auditory canal may mimic a malignant tumor due to its progressive course, so it was the aim of this study to focus on a new etiology for aural masses to avoid unnecessary aggressive treatment.

Study Design: Retrospective study on six children presented with aural masses that were diagnosed pathologically to have nodular fasciitis.

Methods: Presentation of the cases clinically, radiologically and pathologically was carried out.